


Squamas et Pinnulas

by MilayaMilenZeal, Night_the_Dragon



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst, M/M, Mer!Noctis, Mpreg with a twist, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-08 12:37:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 34
Words: 157,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10386804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilayaMilenZeal/pseuds/MilayaMilenZeal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_the_Dragon/pseuds/Night_the_Dragon
Summary: When two worlds that are incompatible exist alongside each other, it's only logical that they don't come into contact with each other. The same goes for the human world and that of the merfolk living beneath the surface of the water.However, when the Prince of Insomnia, the Kingdom of the Mer, finds himself stranded on a beach due to a freak storm, the invisible barriers that have been set up between Mer and humans begin to crumble as he is saved by a freckled, blonde human male.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> There's not enough stories with Mers out there... Time to change that.

“Your Highness, _please_ , we need to return to the Citadel.”

Noctis sighed as he swam along the multi-colored reefs, his black tail propelling him forward with expert ease. He was getting so tired of Drautos’ meddling. Well, not so much meddling; it was more of him trying to keep Noctis from getting too far from Insomnia, which he was _not_ in the mood for. Now he didn’t hate Drautos, but he _would_ appreciate a little bit of time to just swim on his own. Had Ignis or Gladiolus been here, heck, even _Cor_ , he would’ve been fine as long as he didn’t stray too far from the Corale.

Drautos, however, seemed intent on having him stay within the Old Wall. Which was far from enjoyable… especially with all other Mers trying to either interrupt his swim or to attempt to join him on his trip. Neither of which he was looking forward to.

He sighed as he snapped his tail out and coiled himself around a nearby reef, watching as the few fish that lived there came out to watch him swim. Most of them there were already well used to him swimming around to not bother him much. Some of them would still occasionally greet him (since he _was_ still royalty, after all), but many of them had learned early on that he came here to be alone for a while, and to escape from his duties for just a brief moment. Of course, there was no way he could escape forever, and he had no desire to, but that didn’t mean he didn’t need the break every so often.

“Your Highness—”

“Oh, would you please be _quiet_ for a while, Drautos?” Noctis groaned out, snapping out his tail furiously, swimming further away. “I came here to relax! Just leave me be!”

“Your Highness! Wait!!”

Noctis couldn’t even care anymore; he was now swimming away at top speed, ducking and weaving between the reefs in an attempt to lose Drautos. He wasn’t even paying attention to where he was going now; he just kept swimming as fast as he could, his tail snapping out behind him as Drautos’ voice gradually faded away. However, he still spent a long time swimming along the coral reefs, ignoring the anemones that snapped their tentacles back inside of them.

By the time he stopped to collect his energy again, he soon realized that he had no idea where he was at. He looked around slowly, his hair swaying around his head. The reef he was in was beautiful; there were far more colors here than he had ever seen, and the kelp swaying around with the currents whistling through them created a beautiful melody unlike any he’d ever heard.

With a small smile, Noctis moved further along the reef, and, on impulse, opened his mouth and began to sing as he spiraled around contently, his tail lightly moving through the kelp and along the rocky terrain. He was well aware his singing would likely draw in Drautos, but if he could stay here for just a little longer, he’d be content for today.

As he reached the highest point of the reef, he moved to lay himself along the rocks, resting his chin on his arms as he regarded the scenery ahead of him as his tail swayed in the water above him, before he rolled onto his back. Noctis blinked twice to get used to the much brighter light from above. He’d always looked up to the ‘surface’ with a hint of curiosity, but he wasn’t a fool, either. He knew of the dangers that lurked above the water, knew that above there was nothing but death that awaited their kind, and as the prince of Insomnia, he really couldn’t afford to get too close.

As curious as he was about it all, he wasn’t stupid enough to risk the safety of himself or his kingdom.

With a small hum, Noctis shut his eyes, allowing his tail to coil along the rock he was on, before resting his hands on his stomach, allowing the faint heat from that large white circle (what was that called? The ‘sun’, he believed Ignis had called it…) to beat down on him. He didn’t get to do this often; it didn’t often reach down far enough for it to reach them.

Had he not been as annoyed with Drautos and the whole situation, he might’ve wondered just how far out he’d really gotten, but at this point, he just couldn’t care.

‘ _May as well rest here… just for a bit…_ ’

 

Noctis wasn’t sure what woke him, but when he blinked his eyes open, the surface above him was much darker than it had been last time he’d looked. His first thought was ‘ _Is it night already…?_ ’ but as he moved up, he almost yowled as a sudden current almost threw him off his perch, making him flip onto his stomach to cling to the rock.

Looking around, it didn’t take him long to spot the heavy currents that caused the kelp to wave about violently, as if the current was attempting to rip it out by the roots. And then he realized what was going on.

‘ _A storm…! How far away did I get from the Corale?!_ ’

Storms underwater didn’t reach Insomnia often, and even when they did, they were never very heavy. This, however, was much heavier than anything Noctis had ever experienced. The currents were pulling and pushing at him, trying to get him to let go and throw him around, but Noctis curled his fingers around the rock and pressed down his tail as firmly as he could, trying not to be swept away, something that hadn’t happened to him for years.

‘ _Dammit! I gotta hang on…! At least until it passes… then I’ll get back to Insomnia and—_ ’

Noctis yowled as something suddenly snagged onto his tail and almost ripped him loose from the stone if he hadn’t been holding on as well as he had. Snapping his head around, he spotted something he’d never seen in person before, but he’d heard the horror stories of them; a net. It was curled around his tail, and the current was pulling on it and it felt like it nearly tore him in half from the force. He tried to pull his tail back down, tried to move it near him while shifting his hand to the side to try and reach his fin so he could tug it loose, but the current was just so damn powerful he could barely lift his fingers without being tossed aside.

Just as he was able to reach it, though, something slammed into the side of the rock he was on, and the tremor had him crying out in alarm – and his fingers instinctively slackened enough for him to be swept away. A half-scream ripped from his throat as he tried to swim back down to the seafloor, but the current tossed him around like a starfish traveling on the lighter currents to get anywhere.

And then his head slammed into a rock and he knew no more…


	2. The First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Prompto finds the prince of the merfolk and helps him back into the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so everything between two backslashes is Noctis talking in the Mer's native tongue. Just a warning ahead.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Prompto inhaled deeply once he was out of the car he’d gotten a lift from. The sea air smelled amazing, even after that storm from a few hours ago.

“You gonna be okay going down to take them shots, hunny?” Cindy, his old friend, asked as he stood there, stretching.

“Yup! Just gonna take a few shots, and then I’ll be right back,” the blonde grinned lazily.

“All right, but if ya need me, just holler, k?” she said, and Prompto nodded.

“No sweat! I’ll be back soon, Cindy,” he assured her, and then headed off towards the rocky path that led down to the beach, his camera bouncing a little from where it hung around his neck. He was here to take some beautiful shots of the beach and its surroundings for his resume, in hopes of getting a good job as a result.

As he moved around the edge of the fenced off cliffs, the scent of the calming storm invaded his nostrils. It’d been a few hours since the storm that had tormented the shores of Cape Caem had settled, but it was clear that its remnants hadn’t completely gone just yet. Which was good; because, in Prompto’s opinion, the scenery of the seaside after a storm was one of the most beautiful sights imaginable. He didn’t see it often, but it was more than worth the trip to the seaside to snap the shots he wanted.

On top of that, Cape Caem had a history of many sightings of the “merfolk”, something that Prompto wasn’t sure he believed or not. Sure, he’d seen plenty of supposed photographic evidence, but as someone who took photos on a regular basis, it wasn’t difficult for him to recognize a photoshop when he saw it. So, yeah, he wasn’t convinced (yet).

Of course, if he were to come across living proof himself, then sure, he’d believe it. But until then? No. Definitely not. Would he take a picture? Hmm… maybe. Depending on the situation.

Shaking the matter aside for the moment, Prompto immediately went to a good perch he’d spotted from the back of the car, and pulled out his camera, starting to snap some shots of the surrounding area. Whether he caught one of the merfolk on camera or not, Cape Caem was always a good place for beautiful shots of the seaside. Especially after a storm like the one they’d had a while ago.

As he took his pictures, however, he happened to notice something down on the sand of the beach, and he lowered his camera, squinting to try and figure out what it was before he gasped.

It was a person! He couldn’t see much; just the person’s bare upper body, topped by black, messy hair, as the rest of their body was entangled in what looked like a broken fishing net and some other filth that had ended up in the ocean.

As the situation fully dawned on him, he quickly hurried over to the person, knowing he needed to help.

 

Noctis groaned slowly as he blearily blinked his eyes open, before he hissed and pinched them shut again. He wasn’t sure what his eyes felt like now, but he didn’t like it… and good lord, why was his body so HEAVY?!

Slowly, he pushed his arms under him, but the limbs trembled as he tried to push himself up. He blinked several times, and when his eyes got used to the sudden brightness invading his optics, he stared in surprise at the light-colored sand below him… and then to the particles that were sticking to his skin. Moving over to push it off didn’t help; his hands were also covered in the particles, and the moment he dragged it over his arms, it hurt so badly that he immediately stopped with a hiss.

Once he could move, he slowly looked around… and then his eyes widened in realization.

He was on a _beach!_

While he’d never seen one before, he’d heard enough from Ignis to know what a beach looked like. But nothing he’d heard could’ve prepared him for the heat that was pushing down upon him, nearly choking him. He didn’t mind a little heat below the surface, but THIS was definitely overdoing it.

As he tried to move to get back into the water, though, he found that his tail just wouldn’t move. And when he looked over, he tried not to curse when he saw that damn net clinging to the limb, along with some other stuff that Noctis didn’t even know well enough to name. Sadly, as he tried to reach over to pull it off, his other arm slid out from under him and he yowled (the sound sounding SO weird out of the water) as he fell back down on the sand.

Hissing, he tried to push up… but his body was just SO heavy…!

‘ _Damnit… is… is this it…? Am I… going to die here?_ ’

He laid himself down with a heavy breath. Now that he thought about it… even BREATHING was hard and heavy… There was NO WAY he was going to last out here… he had to get back into the sea before he dried out…

‘ _…I… have to get away… before… before THEY find me…_ ’

No sooner had the thought finished, or the blonde human ran over, calling out: “Hey! Are you all right?!”

At the call, the brunette snapped his head up in surprise, before he froze, terror filling his gaze as he realized what was happening, and he tried to scramble away. Unfortunately, with his body feeling as heavy as it did, he could barely muster up enough energy to even roll onto his side.

When he got close enough Prompto braced his hands against his knees, breathing heavily. “Are you okay?” he asked breathlessly from the running he’d just done. He hadn’t actually run that much in quite a while, so he was kind of out of breath.

Noctis didn’t say anything; he just looked up from under his bangs as he continued to try and scoot away despite his heavy limbs.

“Hey, sorry if I scared you,” Prompto murmured, and moved over to remove the netting from the raven-haired male’s lower half.

As his fingers touched his skin, though, the brunette’s hand snapped out almost on instinct and swatted the blonde’s hands away. As the man tried to speak, though, the only sound that came out was a strangled cough as he flopped onto his side, gasping as he clutched his throat.

“Holy shit, man, hang on, lemme get out my knife…” Prompto growled, before fishing out his pocket knife and quickly cutting through the netting with great efficiency. And once cut, the netting (and the filth attached to it) was much easier to remove. But what Prompto certainly hadn’t counted on finding under it was black scales…

“Oh my god…! …Okay, I’m getting you back in the water, now,” Prompto said determinedly, realizing what this guy really was, and why he was coughing and everything like he was thirsty. He needed to be in the water to survive! Once he’d gotten all the netting and filth removed, he began to carefully push the merman into the water.

Which wasn’t as easy as he’d initially thought. Pushing the brunette along the sand made him gasp and whine as the tiny sand particles bit into his bare skin, with the large black tail that was his entire lower body tried to move and propel him forward, which wasn’t working at all.

“This isn’t working…” Prompto grunted. “Gonna have to carry you, sorry. ‘Sides, it won’t hurt so much.” He then bent his knees and hefted up the merman with a huff, before carrying him to the water and wading in a bit so there was enough depth for the raven to swim away. Letting him into the water, the blonde murmured, “There you go.”

As soon as his head disappeared under water, Noctis gasped and inhaled deeply, before his tail instinctively snapped out (accidentally hitting Prompto in the stomach) and propelled him further into water’s depths.

The smaller male yelped and huffed as he was smacked in the stomach by the merman’s  powerful tail, falling back and soaking his ass in the process.

Once Noctis was back in the safety of the water, where he could actually breathe and where the heat from the sun (that’s what it was called, right?) was much more subdued, he knew he had to get out of there immediately. He _knew_ he couldn’t stay there and risk being captured…

And yet he stayed.

From below the water’s surface, he watched this… human? This was a human, right? He (or she? Noctis wasn’t even sure…) was moving on two legs on dry land, and everyone said that was how humans moved, so he assumed him (her?) to be. He couldn’t leave yet, because his innate curiosity made him wonder why this human had just… put him back.

“You okay now?” Prompto called, standing up again when he saw the raven watching him in the water up ahead. “Just be careful going home. I highly doubt everyone would be as kind to save you like I did, so be careful, a’ight?”

Noctis wasn’t sure what was going on, since he didn’t understand a word this guy was saying, but he was definitely intrigued. He made no attempts to get close to him again, and it seemed like he was prepared to let the Mer go. So, yes, his curiosity was peaking. But was he intrigued enough to…?

After a moment more of thought, his curiosity got the better of him and he swam toward a rock he’d spotted earlier and used it to pull himself halfway out of the water. After shaking his head to get his hair out of his eyes (man, that was annoying!) he turned to Prompto and spoke, but he almost winced at how… weird his voice sounded.

//Why did you… do that?//

Prompto frowned, confused. He didn’t understand the merman’s speech at all, but he shook his head. “Don’t worry, just avoid the boats. I gotta go. Just be careful!” he called, before grinning and heading off.

Noctis watched the human as he started to walk away, just as confused as Prompto was about his speech, when he noticed something he hadn’t initially paid attention to. Curious, he pushed off again and, instead of doing the smart thing and swimming away, he hurried back toward the human and, before he could get out of the water, he grabbed onto the back of his pants leg.

“What the-?” Prompto yelped, nearly falling over from the grab. “Hang on, don’t! Those aren’t supposed to come off!” he protested when he realized what was happening; the Mer likely thought that his pants were some form of net, and he was trying to get him out of them in turn.

Noctis hissed a little when the ‘net’ wouldn’t come off, tugging a little harder in his attempts to get it off and at least make it easier to move for him.

“Stop! Those are supposed to be there!” Prompto wailed, trying to pull away. The merman wasn’t deterred, though, and somehow managed to drag his body up along his legs in an attempt to figure out where his pants started in the first place. Finally, Prompto was fully embarrassed, so with a strong push, he managed to get the merman off, and scrambled to his feet, his cheeks crimson with embarrassment.

The sudden shove made Noctis yowl in surprise just before he hit the water again with a splash. Growling a little, he pushed up on his hands so that his upper body rose out from the water and looked up at Prompto crossly from under his wet bangs that were half-obscuring his vision.

Prompto was breathing quickly, his gaze watching the merman almost nervously, his cheeks still burning crimson as the blush began to spread along his neck.

Noctis blinked at the sight, tilting his head curiously. He’d heard of some octopi that could change colors on a whim, and a few jellyfish, but he hadn’t been aware that humans could do that, too.

//How do you do that?// he asked, pointing to the human’s face. //How do you change colors?//

“I don’t understand…” Prompto told the raven, shaking his head.

Noctis sighed in annoyance as he dropped his hand, before he quickly looked around, searching. He soon spotted what he needed and he ducked under the water and swam off quickly to pick it up. Once he had it (wriggling) in his hand, he swam back and popped back out, this time balancing his weight back on his tail.

//Your face,// he said, tapping his own face with one finger, //it’s red, like a starfish.// As he finished that, he held up the wriggling red starfish he’d snagged and pointed to Prompto’s face.

“Ah…! It’s…called blushing…” Prompto told him when he realized what the merman was trying to say.

Noctis, of course, didn’t understand what Prompto was saying. However, just then, the starfish tried to snap at him and he glared at it, before he abruptly threw it away again, watching it splash in the water with a small scoff.

This drew a chuckle from the blonde, who was amused by the merman’s antics.

As he caught the sound, Noctis looked back to Prompto, his expression asking clearly “What’s so funny?”

“You’re pretty funny,” Prompto chuckled, pointing briefly at the raven. He then pointed at himself. “Prompto. That’s my name.”

Noctis blinked, twice, before he frowned. He had a feeling he understood what the human was trying to say, but…

“…Promp…to…?” he tried, but the vowels felt so weird rolling off his tongue.

“Yeah,” the blonde nodded, smiling kindly.

The merman hesitated, his fin moving slowly in the water behind him. If this human had just given him his name, then it was common courtesy to return the favor, but he hesitated (obviously). Was it really so smart to just give his name to a random human? Names had a lot of power among the Mer… so he couldn’t just give it all away.

…then again, what was this human going to do with it? And if he didn’t give his full name, surely it’d be fine, right?

“…N… Noctis,” he managed to get out.

“Noctis, huh? Nice meeting you,” Prompto smiled a bit wider.

The Mer definitely had no idea what to do about this situation. What _was_ he supposed to do? Well, aside from swimming away in the opposite direction, of course…

Prompto gave him an understanding look. “Go on. You need to get home, and you won’t be able to if you stay here.” He said this while pointing out to the sea, hoping to get his message across.

When Noctis’ gaze followed his fingers out to sea, Prompto was sure that he had understood that much at least. And yet, the Mer seemed to hesitate, still.

Prompto’s gaze became sad as he noticed the raven’s hesitation. “I’ll be okay. Just go home, where you belong.”

Noctis looked over, considering what he was assuming were the human’s words. In normal situations, he’d never even consider leaving without being able to at least do _something_ in return for someone assisting him, but this wasn’t a normal situation. And so, after a long moment more, the Mer turned and ducked into the water, before he swam away without ever looking back.

Sighing out of relief that Noctis had finally left to go home, Prompto looked down at himself, realizing he was still pretty damp, to say the least. Hopefully, he could figure out an explanation for Cindy, and she might have a towel for him. At least his camera didn’t get damaged, and he’d gotten his shots. Giving another heavy sigh, the blonde began the trek back to the car.

 

Despite the unfamiliar territory initially, it didn’t take Noctis all that long to find a familiar area, and from there, he swam off for Insomnia as fast as he could. He was sure his father was worried sick, and the other Mer were probably already looking for him, with Drautos, probably, at the helm, if his father would allow it. And if not him, then surely Gladio.

Thankfully, there were no more storms coming in, allowing him to make his way to Insomnia relatively unscathed, if not completely exhausted by the time he reached the Corale. As he approached, though, his speed gradually slowing down until he was barely floating, there was a familiar cry of his name.

“ _Noct!!_ ”

Noctis sighed in relief as he looked up. He’d never been so relieved to see Ignis and Gladio swimming over, their green and red tails propelling them both toward his side as he moved a little more forward. “Hey, guys… sorry I’m late…” he got out.

“Where were you?! Why didn’t you come home after that storm passed?!” Gladio asked immediately, moving to help Noctis to swim back to the Citadel.

“Oh, I uh… I got lost… guess I swam too far ahead… sorry,” Noctis offered with a small half shrug. It wasn’t really a lie; he _had_ actually gotten lost before coming home. He just hadn’t given them all the details of what had happened in between the storm and getting lost.

Ignis hummed, and he was sure the advisor had a feeling there was more to it, but he thankfully didn’t say anything about it. “At least you’ve returned. His Majesty will be pleased to hear that.”

“Yeah… I’m glad to be home, too…” Noctis admitted as he was guided along.

As they went, though, Noctis couldn’t help but think back on the human who’d saved him back on the beach (“Prompto”… right?) and wondered absently if he hadn’t made a mistake in giving his name.

‘ _Oh well… nothing to do about it now._ ’

 

When Prompto returned to the car, he saw Cindy waiting for him. As he got closer, however, she noticed him and frowned.

“How did you get all wet, hunny?” she asked, furrowing her blonde eyebrows in confusion.

“I, uh…fell while getting some shots and the waves came in…” he lied easily, fiddling with his camera. Cindy accepted it, though, and sighed.

“Just you, huh?” she giggled, shaking her head in amusement. “All right, no worries, I had a feeling that might happen. Come on over, I got a few towels in the trunk.”

“Thank god. You’re a lifesaver, Cindy. I was afraid you’d make me freeze my ass off on the way back,” Prompto admitted.

“Nah, can’t have you catching cold if you get a job offer, right? How’d the shots go, by the way?” she asked, pulling a towel from the car’s trunk.

“I got some good ones, so I hope they’ll work for anyone who’s interested,” the photographer grinned, feeling hopeful.

“I’m sure they will,” Cindy smiled, handing him a towel. “Now dry off, and I’ll give you another for on the way back.”

“Sounds good. Thanks,” Prompto nodded and dried off with the given towel as best as he could, before switching for a fresh one once he was done.

“Now let’s head back, k?” Cindy smiled, and the photographer nodded.

“Yeah,” he agreed, climbing into the passenger seat of the car while Cindy took the driver’s seat.

As they drove off, though, Prompto’s thoughts went back to the merman he’d rescued before, and he realized something.

 _‘DAMMIT!!_ ’ he thought irritably. ‘ _I should have snapped a picture of him…_ ’


	3. Eye of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The eye of the storm is the calmest place of a storm... or should be, anyway.

It was about a week later that Prompto decided to go to Cape Caem again for some more shots. Despite all of the others’ compliments on the earlier photos he’d shot while there, he still didn’t feel they were up to par with his usual work. So, he asked Cindy for a ride again, and she took him there, not even questioning it. She understood his self-consciousness, so she wasn’t going to say no or demand answers.

When they arrived, the blonde male waved to her, and began to seek out a different perch near the beach than last time, hoping to get better shots as a result. While he walked along the sand, though, he couldn’t help but hope he just might see Noctis again, but he highly doubted it. After all, the merman would have no reason to come out here on his own; he’d just end up beached again, probably.

The beach was mostly empty by the time that Prompto arrived, as was normal at the current time of day. Cape Caem wasn’t a big place, and there were even less people there to enjoy the sunny summer weather. Which, in turn, made it a much better sight for beautiful shots.

Finally, the blonde found a good perch for some nice shots, and made his way up there before setting up. From there, he got some really nice photos, in his opinion, and was satisfied with these ones, compared to his last trip here.

As he finished taking the shots, though, a voice suddenly spoke up. “Yo there, bud. Lookin’ to snap some shots of the Mer?”

“Wha?” Prompto uttered, lowering his camera. It then clicked what the guy was asking, and he looked at him, playing dumb. “What do you mean?”

“Heheh. That’s what most people are here for,” the man quipped cheekily, one hand in his pocket as he flicked his hand to the sea off to the side. “We got a lot of tales going around ‘bout the Mer, and we got a _looot_ of people coming by to try and snap a shot. Figured you’d be the same way.”

“I’m just snapping shots for my resume,” the smaller male replied, sitting back to take a small break.

“That so, huh?” the man chuckled. “So no interest in snapping some shots of Mer at all, huh?”

“No, but I’m guessing you mean merpeople, then? I didn’t realize they had a short version of their name, considering they’re myths,” Prompto said.

“Well, gotta name ‘m something, right? And it’d be considered sexist to say merman or mermaid, ya get my point?”

“True… How do you know much about them, anyway? Seen any yourself, or something? I can’t imagine you wouldn’t if you’re approaching me about them.”

The man laughed lightly. “Ain’t seem ‘m in person, no, but I got my sources to tell me just what I need to know. In fact; if you’re interested in a really good shot, I might be able to arrange something for ya.”

“What? How can you manage that if you’ve never seen any?” Prompto frowned, confused.

“Like I said,” the man laughed, “I got my sources, and I ain’t gonna rat ‘m out.” He let that sink in for a minute, before he quipped: “So? You interested?”

The smaller male thought about it briefly, before giving in. Really, the worst that could probably happen was that he wouldn’t get a shot of the Mer and had to settle for scenery shots. Which wasn’t so bad. “Sure. I’d like to think it’ll get me a job, then.”

“Nice,” the man chuckled as he walked over. Holding out his hand, he said: “Name’s Dino. Pleased to meet ya.”

“Prompto. Prompto Argentum. Nice to meet you, too, Dino,” Prompto said, taking his hand and shaking it.

 

A few days later found Prompto (once again) back at Cape Caem, but this time for a different reason than the earlier trips. This time, he came to join Dino and a small handful of tourists on a boat ride out unto the open sea. The guise for the trip was that it was going to be a slightly more scenic route toward Altissia, while, in truth, it was an attempt to catch sight of the “Mer”, as Dino called them.

And even if Prompto couldn’t get a shot of them, he could likely get a few nice shots of Altissia once they arrived.

The blonde prepped his camera as the boat continued out further into the ocean, making sure the lens and camera itself was clean, he had enough battery for it, and enough memory on the SD card inside. Everything looked good, so he decided to go over and check with Dino.

“So…where do they usually show up out here?” he asked.

Dino chuckled as he looked over from his perch, before he gestured out ahead. “You see that over there?” he said, pointing off toward a set of seemingly random spires that had been said to mark the optimal route to Altissia. “There’s been lots of rumors going ‘bout that they live in that area. And that they regularly come up for a bit of fun in the sun. So that’s gonna be our first pit stop.”

“Okay…” Prompto conceded, highly doubting the “fun in the sun” part. He remembered how Noctis had been suffering in the harsh sunlight over a week ago, so he knew that they wouldn’t come for any “sun fun”.

“Oh, by the way,” Dino said, taking Prompto’s hand and dropping some thin items in it. “Try tossing these out there. They’re attracted to shinies, too.”

“Uh, okay?” the smaller male uttered, quirking a brow, before doing as told and tossing what appeared to be some old rings out into the ocean.

 

“Noct, will you slow down?” Ignis called out, and Noctis sighed softly as he moved to the top of the reef, where he proceeded to lay quietly for a little bit. Once the advisor had joined him (though he remained floating by the reef), the other Mer spoke again. “You’ve been rather distracted lately. Is everything all right?”

“Yeah,” Noctis said as he unfurled himself entirely along the rock, letting his black tail move along the reef, briefly moving the fin along a piece of coral. “Everything’s fine.”

Not a lie; things were fine. The only thing _not_ okay was the fact that he couldn’t get his mind off of Prompto, and he kept wondering if he was okay. He was sure he was, and yet he couldn’t help but wonder…

Ignis hummed softly, but he said nothing else, even as Noctis closed his eyes to rest quietly. Ever since the last time, it had been decided that only Gladio or Ignis were to accompany Noctis whenever he went out, given the prince’s friendship with the two other Mer. And Noctis was perfectly fine with that. At least they knew not to bother him too much when he needed to think.

And suddenly something hit him in the forehead. “Ow!” he yelped as he sat up, looking around, before his eyes fell on the objects that had hit him in the face. He took the item in hand and turned it around. It was round with a hole in them. He’d seen these before; they were “rings”, he believed, but where’d they come from?

“Hm… looks like they’ve come back…” Ignis murmured, and Noctis looked up curiously. What he saw, was the bottom of what appeared to be the underside of a whale… or no, it was one of those “boats” everyone told him he had to stay away from.

“…Humans, huh?” Noctis murmured.

Ignis hummed. “We should return.”

“…I’m staying for a little longer,” Noctis murmured.

“Noct…”

“I’m not staying for long. Just a little longer.”

“…Very well.”

 

As the trip continued, there was very little to see aside from, well, the endless ocean ahead of them. Which wasn’t necessarily “bad”, but it was certainly not what Dino had been aiming for with this trip, Prompto was sure. The blonde snapped a few nice shots of the surrounding area, and then he looked at Dino. “How much longer until we get to Altissia?” he asked.

“Shouldn’t be much longer, now,” Dino admitted, though he seemed more than a little disappointed over not getting the “scoop” he was obviously after.

Prompto sighed, but then, when he looked up, he noticed some incoming clouds in the sky. Dino noticed it as well and he cursed. “Dammit and they said it was gonna be a nice, sunny day… Welp, guess we’re gonna have to move a little faster than planned.”

Prompto sighed heavily, before looking at Dino. “So much for this trip,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that, man,” Dino apologized sincerely. “Shows ya can’t trust the weather report, eh?”

Before Prompto could respond, though, something suddenly slammed into the side of the boat.

“Wah!” Prompto wailed, very nearly dropping his camera.

“The hell?!” Dino yowled as he grabbed hold of the railing. “The devil just hit us?!”

There was no time to respond as there was a second hit to the boat.

“What is it?!” Prompto demanded, clinging to the railing as well.

Dino couldn’t even get a word out, as thunder rumbled ominously from the clouds above them.

When the thunder began to rumble, Prompto jumped, before his camera fell from his hands into the watery depths of the ocean below. “No! My camera!” he yelped.

 

“Hm… it would seem Lady Leviathan is annoyed with the humans,” Ignis murmured.

“…looks like,” Noctis said in agreement.

“We should be going. Before we get dragged in as well.”

Noctis sighed as he moved off of the reef (though he did pick up the rings that had been dropped on his head to keep). “May as we—…huh?” The prince blinked as he spotted something that had fallen from the humans’ boat. An item that he actually recognized.

“Noct. Let’s go!” Ignis called out when he realized that the other Mer wasn’t following. But Noctis didn’t respond at all. However, before Ignis could try again, the prince suddenly swam off in the opposite direction. “Noct!!”

Noctis didn’t listen to the call as he reached out and caught the item in his hand as it came into range. While he didn’t know what it was called or what it did, he _did_ recognize the item itself. He’d seen it hanging from a strap before… around Prompto’s neck.

“ _Noct!_ ” Ignis said as he joined the prince. “We have to go _now!_ Come on!”

But Noctis immediately shrugged off Ignis’ hand and then, without so much as a word said, he snapped his tail out and swam upward toward the surface.

“NOCT!!”

 

“Oy! Dude! C’mon!” Dino called out, grabbing Prompto’s arm and beginning to drag him away. “We need to get below deck!”

“But…my camera!” the smaller male protested.

“C’mon, Prom! I’ll get you a new one when we reach Altissia!”

“Okay, fine!” Prompto conceded, before starting to go with Dino. However, just as Prompto made to step down the stairs, something heavy smashed into the boat’s side, throwing the blonde sideways and into and then _over_ the railing. “SHIT!!” Prompto cried out as he fell into the water.

The moment he went under, the salt water assaulted his eyes, forcing them shut in pain. Once he was able to open his eyes, the bubbles surrounding him were just fading away, and he could just barely make out the blurry outline of the boat above him. Trying to get back to the boat, Prompto started to swim up, in the boat’s direction. Unfortunately, the more he tried to swim up, the more he was instead dragged down by the currents caused by the rapidly approaching storm.

‘ _NO! It can’t…end like this!_ ’ the blonde thought in a panic as he realized what was happening, bubbles of air slipping out from his lips as he tried not to panic from the way his lungs were starting to burn for much-needed oxygen.

Suddenly, there was a firm touch that encircled his waist. Startled, Prompto looked to see the familiar face of the one he’d saved over a week prior. His eyes widened in shock, as he had DEFINITELY not expected Noctis, of all people, to be there.

Noctis regarded him briefly, before he turned his head upward and snapped out his tail fiercely, immediately propelling them both upward to the surface. In less than a minute, they broke through the surface, and Prompto gasped as he gulped in air to ease the pain of his burning lungs, before looking at Noctis.

“Thank you!” he panted, unsure if the raven would even understand him.

Noctis didn’t say anything in response, but he did nod his head, so he likely understood what Prompto was trying to say. Suddenly a wave of water washed over them and Noctis gave a small cry of surprise.

“Dammit!” Prompto cursed, trying to help keep them afloat by giving a small kick away from Noctis so as not to hurt him.

//Dammit, Leviathan!! Would you calm down?!// Noctis shouted out over the roaring waves. Of course, there was no response, and he wasn’t surprised that his words were ignored. Looking around for a moment, Noctis spotted a large outcropping, which (unbeknownst to Noctis) humans used to find the way to Altissia, and began to beat his tail, swimming over to it with his arm still wrapped around Prompto’s waist.

Prompto let himself be carried to the outcropping, beyond grateful to the Mer for helping him. With the seas raging around them, it took much longer than was normally needed to reach the rocks, but when they finally did, Noctis curled his other arm around a rock and pulled Prompto up onto the outcropping. The blonde pulled himself further up on there, and looked at Noctis once he was fully seated on the rocks.

“I’m glad you made it back okay,” he told him, relieved. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

Noctis was quiet in response to the words, before a wave hit him in the back and he yelped. He snarled as he looked back, shouting something that Prompto couldn’t quite hear (not that he could understand it to begin with), before he, too, pulled himself up onto the rocks. After grumbling something, the Mer looked up and held up one hand… or more specifically, the item in it.

“My camera!” Prompto gasped, and he took it from the offering hand. “Thank you, Noctis!”

The Mer nodded his head again, before he turned back to the seas again, watching as the waves continued to rage and roar as the winds picked up and thunder rumbled in the distance. Meanwhile, Prompto shook some of the water from his hair, hoping to get it a little less drenched, before smiling at the raven. He wished he could tell him how happy he was that the Mer was here and was the one who had saved him, but he knew it was impossible. As if sensing the human’s gaze, Noctis turned back to face Prompto, tilting his head curiously.

“I’m happy to see you again, is all,” the blonde explained, despite knowing Noctis wouldn’t understand.

Naturally, the Mer didn’t respond, though his tail did sway slightly along the side of the rocks. However, suddenly there was a loud roar as a wave suddenly rose up in front of them, making Noctis look over with a glare.

“OH SHIT!!” Prompto shrieked, terrified by the large beast before them.

The best way to describe the beast was some sort of large water dragon--emphasis on LARGE. Its face, which was hovering high above them, was larger than the outcropping the pair was sitting on, and its neck stretched down far down under the water. It snarled as its large, yellow eyes narrowed in a clear display of fury.

//Leviathan!! Stop it!!// Noctis shouted up to the beast.

Prompto merely cowered at the sight of the gigantic water dragon, his bright blue eyes wide with fear.

//What nonsense is this, little prince?// Leviathan growled out. //You would _defend_ one of them?! A _human_ that would rather see you enslaved or dead!?//

//He is _not_ like the rest, Leviathan!// Noctis shouted (since the sea was still raging around them). //I assure you; he’ll not cause us any harm!//

The dragon seemed less than impressed as she snorted. //And you’ve proof of this, little prince?!//

//I am the proof, Leviathan!// Noctis nearly screamed. //I would not _be_ here if not for him!!//

Prompto listened, of course not understanding, but it seemed almost like the dragon and Noctis were communicating, based off the shouting from the Mer and the growls from the aquatic beast. The shouting/growling session between the Mer and dragon continued for a long time, before, finally, the dragon scoffed, the breath ruffling both their hairs from the force.

//You are naive, little prince…// Leviathan growled, //but just this once, I shall humor your request.//

//Thank you, Leviathan,// Noctis said with a bow of his head.

//Just see that he does not trespass again…// the dragon snarled, before she turned and ducked back into the sea, the water barely moving around her massive frame.

“Holy shit… What the hell was THAT?” Prompto wondered aloud, exhaling shakily. Noctis looked over to Prompto at the words, curiously watching him. “Whatever you did, thanks for saving me again, sheesh!” Prompto sighed, shuddering.

There was no immediate response from the Mer. The black-haired male merely sat on the rock, his tail lightly wading through the water below, which was steadily calming down again, even as the thunder continued to rage. The blonde looked up at the sky, his expression concerned as he watched the lightning streak across it and listened to the rumbling thunder.

//Noct!!//

Noctis blinked at the shout and snapped around, scanning the water, before he spotted the source and groaned. He then turned to Prompto and tapped him to the arm. Once he had his attention, the Mer pointed to Prompto, and then to the rock, twice, before he slid off and dove back into the water.

Prompto sighed once the raven was gone, hoping he would somehow see him again. It was good to know Noctis was well, though.

 

As Noctis swam back under the waves, Ignis soon came swimming over. “Ignis, I--”

“I heard.”

“…oh.” Noct wasn’t sure what else to say to that, so he remained silent.

Ignis regarded the prince for a moment more in silence, but finally, he spoke again. “It would be wise to get him away from here. Before Lady Leviathan changes her mind.”

At those words, Noctis stared for a moment, confused and surprised, before he smiled. “Right… thanks, Ignis.”

“Just hurry up… your father is probably worried sick.”

“Right, right…”

Noctis nodded, before he turned and swam back up.

 

Prompto blinked in surprise when he saw Noctis resurface, and smiled, despite his confusion, when the raven came back over. Noctis swam over closer, and then waved Prompto over. Nodding, Prompto carefully slid into the water, holding on to his camera still, and paddled over to the Mer.

Once he was by the Mer’s side, Noctis moved the blonde’s arms around his neck, and began to swim, his tail moving against Prompto’s legs as he went. Prompto blinked in surprise, before allowing Noctis to take him back to the boat.

As the boat steadily righted itself, Noctis moved over to the side, looking for a place from where he could drop off Prompto, until he spotted the ladder on the back and moved over. When they got there, Prompto reluctantly let go, before wrapping his arms around Noctis’ neck from his front.

“Thank you again. And take care, okay?” Prompto murmured, before letting go and taking his camera in his teeth by its strap so he could climb the ladder. Before he reached the deck, though, he smiled gratefully down at Noctis one last time before climbing onto the boat’s deck.

Noctis watched him go quietly, his head tilted to the side, before he opened his mouth. “…Take… care.”

Prompto grunted as he got onto the boat, flopping onto the wooden deck tiredly. “Dammit…! That dragon’s massive, and definitely packs a punch against a boat!” he complained.

As he moved to the area below deck, though, there was a splash off to the side, and just as the blonde whirled around, it was just in time to see Noctis jumping out from the water briefly before he dove back under, disappearing from sight once again.

“Goodbye, Noctis. I hope you and I meet again under better circumstances someday…” he murmured sadly.


	4. Amidst the Deep Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When curiosity strikes... fools answer.

Finally, Prompto was in Altissia. He had managed to find his way to the hotel, thanks to Dino, and was checked in to his hotel room. Mercifully, Dino had gone in half for his stay there, which was a relief, considering the blonde didn’t have too much gil to his name at the moment. He had already showered to get the salt water off of him, and was in some spare clothes while his were being washed as he was on the phone with Cindy.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Trying to find out if my camera is, though,” he told her as he toyed with his camera, as it was already dry from its own drop into the sea.

“ _And if it’s not? Hunny, I know that camera wasn’t cheap, and it’s your life. It ain’t gonna be easy to replace,_ ” Cindy told him worriedly, and Prompto sighed.

“I know, but I backed everything up on my laptop before going out for this trip, so that’s a relief. Besides, Dino promised he would buy me a new one if this one’s busted,” he shrugged, feeling the buttons and pressing them to make sure they didn’t stick and that they still worked.

“ _As long as you’re okay with that, hun,_ ” the blonde woman on the other end murmured.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine. I only got a few shots before the storm hit, anyway,” he told her.

“ _Well, as long as they were able to be spared, then that’s fine,_ ” she relented.

“Yup, so no worries. I’m gonna go check on my clothes, Cindy, but I’ll keep you posted, k?”

“ _Sounds good. Talk to ya later, Prompto,_ ” she smiled, and then the call was ended.

Standing up with a grunt, Prompto sighed. It seemed like the camera still worked, but it definitely needed to be cleaned from the salt of the ocean water. Which was simple enough. The blonde then pocketed his room key and headed down to the laundry room, where his clothes were now waiting for him in the dryer. As he collected them out, though, he couldn’t help but think about Noctis.

He really hoped the raven wasn’t in trouble for helping him, as he would think the Mer would try and normally steer clear of humans. Even though Prompto DID save Noctis’s life over a week ago. He clearly remembered the Mer’s fear when he had approached him, but now Noctis was fine with him. It had to be just him, otherwise he’d probably flee at the sight of another human.

‘ _I hope we can see each other soon, Noctis,_ ’ he thought to himself.

 

“…Ignis?” Noctis asked as they swam through the Citadel’s halls.

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you say anything to Father?”

Ignis hummed as they arrived at Noctis’ room. “It wasn’t my place to say,” he said finally.

“…I see…” the prince murmured.

“Noct.”

“Hm?” Noctis hummed as he looked over.

“You do need to tell him someday.”

“…I know…” the raven murmured, before he swam inside. “I’ll think about it…”

Ignis merely hummed as Noctis shut the heavy shell door to his room, and he sighed as he moved over to his bed and rested down upon it.

Now that he was back in Insomnia, and more importantly his own room, Noctis couldn’t help but think back on Prompto. Despite the fact that he had now been able to return the favor to the blonde by saving his life from the ocean (or Leviathan, more like), he couldn’t help but worry if the human was alright. He knew that humans were supposed to be things to be avoided if you wanted to continue living, but he just couldn’t see it in Prompto. Was it just him or were there others who wouldn’t try to entrap the Mer or attempt to kill them?

He didn’t know… but his curiosity about the human was definitely peaked, now.

With that in mind, Noctis swam over to his large window and looked around cautiously. When he was sure no one was around or watching, he swam away. He knew it was stupid, knew he should be telling saying he was leaving, but he wasn’t thinking properly at the moment. Besides, he wasn’t going to be gone for long.

 

As the sun gradually set along the horizon, Prompto found himself wandering around the city, snapping some shots here and there of the city in all its glory as he ventured his way to the docks for some extra nice pictures. Surprisingly, they were practically abandoned at the moment, though that might’ve had something to do with the time. As he was walking around, though, there was a sudden splash from off to the side, which made him look up. However, when he did, there wasn’t anything to see… except he could see some ripples on the water that shouldn’t have been there, that led to under the dock.

Curiosity piqued, Prompto got on his knees at the edge, and started to look under the dock itself: As he did, his eyes soon locked with another pair of blue eyes framed by soaked black hair.

“Noctis?” Prompto gasped, startled by the Mer’s appearance.

The Mer remained there for a moment more, before he swam and moved to the edge of the dock. Once there, he reached up and pulled himself up to hang from the side by his arms.

“What are you doing here?” Prompto asked, puzzled.

When Prompto spoke, Noctis began to realize he might not have thought this plan through all the well. There was still that whole “language barrier” to deal with, so how was he supposed to communicate with him?

As he thought on that, though, he recalled a phrase that Prompto had used a lot during their initial meeting. And given the circumstances, he was pretty sure he had the meaning right in his head.

“…are y…you al…alright?”

Prompto blinked, surprised by the (fluent) question. “Yeah,” he nodded, smiling. “Are you? You’re a long way from home, right?”

Noctis frowned a bit in concentration, trying to figure out from the blonde’s face what he was trying to say. Which was definitely not as easy as he had expected it to be. But he assumed him to be returning the question back at him, so he just nodded his head.

“Good,” the blonde smiled in relief. “I’m happy to see you again.”

The Mer cocked his head curiously as he rested his head on his arms, his tail absently moving to keep him in place.

Shaking his head slightly, as he knew Noctis wouldn’t have understood, Prompto decided to change directions. “Thank you again, for saving me before.”

Those words again… Noctis was starting to believe they were meant to express gratitude. So…

//…You’re welcome,// he said in his own tongue, since he had no idea how to say it in the human language.

Prompto tilted his head curiously, before realizing the Mer was telling him ‘you’re welcome’ in his own language. He then smiled and reached to take one of Noctis’ hands in his. “If only you and I could understand each other…” he murmured, his gaze saddening a bit.

Noctis blinked at their joined hands. He hadn’t noticed before, but Prompto’s skin felt so different from his own, or that of other Mer. He wasn’t sure why; maybe it was because of the lack of water on it, but it certainly had him intrigued as he moved up a little more and took hold of Prompto’s hand in both of his to move the thumbs over the back.

The blonde smiled in slight amusement at Noctis’ curiosity, letting him do as he pleased. Tilting his head, Noctis let out a curious sound that no human would be able to make, as he brought the hand to his face and began to sniff at it.

“It’s just soap,” Prompto chuckled as he realized what the raven was smelling. This was met with a confused look from Noctis, of course. “You’re pretty interesting yourself, ya know,” the blonde smiled, moving his free hand to Noctis’ wet locks. They were surprisingly soft for living in the ocean.

Noctis regarded Prompto as he ran a hand through his waterlogged hair, not really caring much. The only thing that really annoyed him was that it was so heavy on his head now. Why’d everything get twice as heavy above the surface, anyway?

“Your hair’s really soft, even though it’s wet,” Prompto murmured.

Noctis looked up at Prompto silently, before he pushed up and began to run his own hand through Prompto’s blonde hair. This drew a light shiver from the smaller male, and he smiled softly at the raven. Of course, Noctis noticed the shiver and blinked, tilting his head before he poked at Prompto’s cheek.

Prompto chuckled. “Your hand’s a bit cold from the water,” he told him.

Noctis, of course, didn’t understand a word, as the frown on his face said. After a moment though, he groaned as his arms started to complain about holding up his weight and he dropped himself back in the water.

“Are you leaving?” Prompto asked, feeling somewhat disappointed at the move.

Noctis briefly disappeared underwater shortly after the question… and then he suddenly jumped out with enough force that he managed to get on the dock, though he almost slid off again when he tried to sit up. Prompto quickly helped the Mer to steady himself, before sitting on the dock with him so he wasn’t kneeling anymore.

“You’re crazy,” he laughed lightly, before his expression became worried. “I just hope no one comes over…”

Noctis tilted his head, before he snorted and said: //You do realize I can’t understand you, right?//

Prompto sighed, realizing that the raven was probably saying he didn’t understand. “Sorry…” he apologized. He did, however, look around worriedly, hoping Noctis would understand they needed to remain careful.

Of course the prince noticed him looking around and he knew why that was. He wasn’t _that_ stupid. He was, however, very curious about Prompto’s legs and the ‘netting’ that covered them, so he poked at it pointedly. The blonde perked up at the poke, before he laughed quietly, so as not to draw attention.

“They’re called ‘pants’. I need them,” he explained.

Noctis looked at him oddly, before he curled his fingers along the material and tugged on it curiously.

“Hey, those are supposed to be there!” Prompto chuckled, before his gaze moved to the raven’s tail. Tentatively, he reached out, and gently ran his hand along the surprisingly smooth scales.

This caused the Mer to jump briefly, before he settled and let Prompto move his fingers along the scales. The pads of his fingers felt a little rough, but the water dripping from his tail made it a little better. //Just don’t go against the scales…// he mumbled.

Prompto glanced at the raven briefly, hoping he was okay to do this, and smoothed his fingers all the way to the end of Noctis’s tail.

As he reached the end, though, Noctis smirked and suddenly snapped his fin up, splashing Prompto in the face.

“Gah!” the blonde yipped, startled by the sudden splash. He then pouted at Noctis when he saw the smirk.

The sound and the pout made Noctis laugh, which made his shoulders shake. Prompto rolled his eyes at the Mer’s antics, before shaking the water from his hair and wiping it off his face. And Noctis chuckled, before he noticed something. Reaching around, the Mer poked Prompto’s camera from where it rested against his chest.

“This? It’s my camera. It takes pictures,” Prompto told him, before pulling up some of the pictures he’d taken on it that day to show Noctis.

This definitely had the Mer’s attention, as he scooted over closer to look over Prompto’s shoulder properly, his blue eyes transfixed on the screen.

“They’re nice, huh?” he chucked, scrolling through the pictures, until there were the pictures from yesterday.

One of those pictures was from a field of flowers that he just so happened to walk by, and this made Noctis’ eyes widen in awe. Before Prompto could move to the next one, the raven tugged the camera a little closer so he could look at the picture a little better.

“Like it?” the blonde asked, smiling happily.

Noctis didn’t reply immediately. After a little bit of awed staring, he pointed to the flowers and turned to Prompto. //What are those??//

“Flowers,” was the simple answer.

“Flo…wers…?”

“Yeah, flowers,” Prompto nodded, smiling again.

Though the word was clearly alien to him, when Noctis turned back to the picture, there was no denying the wonder in the Mer’s eyes. Prompto watched the raven’s expression, and he was quite proud that he’d managed to be the source of that look on his face.

Noctis spent a few more moments look at the picture, before he reached out in an attempt to figure out how to move to the next picture.

“Like this,” the blonde murmured, guiding Noctis’ hand to show him how to change the picture.

Noctis blinked once, before he repeated the motion, smiling when he got it work. The smaller male watched the Mer in amusement as he flipped through the pictures, pleased to know the raven liked them.

As he reached a particular picture, Noctis blinked, before he pointed to the picture on the screen. When Prompto looked over, he realized it was a shot he’d made of Cindy as she was washing her car.

“Car,” Prompto said, keeping it simple.

“Car…?” Noctis repeated curiously.

The blonde nodded. Nodding back, Noctis then went back to look through the pictures.

Prompto watched him, simply enjoying him looking through the pictures.

Eventually, though, Noctis’ eyes widened and he pointed at the picture. //Beach!//

“You like it? It’s where you washed up at, and the day we met,” Prompto told him, chuckling.

Noctis smiled with his tail moving about briefly.

“I’m glad I found you that day, Noctis… I know for a fact not everyone’s that same as me, though,” Prompto sighed.

The Mer cocked his head curiously at the words. While he didn’t understand what was being said, he could tell there was something weighing on the human’s mind. And while he had no idea how humans would comfort each other, he definitely knew how Mer did. He didn’t even hesitate with it as he moved back slightly, right before he wrapped his arms around Prompto’s shoulders from behind and nuzzled his face against the blonde’s shoulder blades,

The smaller male looked back at Noctis, surprised, before relaxing in the Mer’s hold. As he did, though, an unfamiliar sound began to rumble from the Mer’s throat, filtering into his ears steadily. The blonde listened as he realized the raven was singing, much like he’d heard in myths from when he was a kid.

While Prompto couldn’t understand a word of whatever Noctis was singing, it immediately served to ease his worried mind, even from worries he hadn’t even been aware of initially. He relaxed completely in Noctis’s hold as a result, feeling incredibly calm now.

Once Prompto had calmed, Noctis slowly ended his song, and then moved back. //Better?//

“I feel so much calmer now,” Prompto smiled softly, nodding to whatever question Noctis had asked.

Noctis smiled -- right before his head snapped up as he heard some sort of wail from the seas, and he flinched sharply. //Uh-oh…!//

Prompto looked at the raven, surprised, before he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Noctis bit his lip, before he looked to Prompto. //I… I have to go…// he said, beginning to move toward the edge of the dock.

“Will I see you again?” Prompto questioned, understanding that the Mer had to go, so he began to carefully help him to get closer to the dock’s edge.

One glance from the Mer showed that Noctis didn’t understand what he was saying, he did take note of the fact that the human was upset. Before he let himself slip into the water, Noctis moved over and hugged Prompto again. “Take… care…”

“You, too,” Prompto smiled sadly, hugging him back.

Once they pulled away, Noctis pushed off from the dock and, with one smooth motion, he disappeared beneath the water’s surface once again. And as soon as he was gone, Prompto sighed heavily, already missing the Mer. He hoped he didn’t get the raven in trouble for being with him…

 

‘ _Damn damn damn damn damn!_ ’ Noctis thought as he swam as fast as possible. He _knew_ he shouldn’t have left… he _knew_ it’d been a bad idea… and yet he _still_ went! What was he thinking!? ‘ _Dammit! Father is going to be furious!_ ’

And sure enough, as careful as he was in getting back, he was quickly swooped up by some of the guards and brought before his father.

“Noct,” Regis said when Noctis was brought before him, and the prince could tell the king wasn’t sure how to feel just then. His emotions were clearly fluctuating between relief, anger and worry, and Noctis instantly felt bad for swimming off without a word to anyone. “Where did you disappear to? Do you have any idea how worried we were?”

Noctis didn’t dare to speak, so he kept his mouth shut, his gaze aimed at the ground. He knew he was in the wrong, and no amount of words was going to make up for that, and so he figured the best course of action would be to remain silent. Let alone, there was no way he could tell him… he couldn’t say he’d left just to meet with a _human_ …

“You don’t have the leisure to just swim off as you please. You are a prince. You have responsibilities. Do you understand this?”

“…yes sir.”

Regis was frowning, he knew, even if he couldn’t (or didn’t dare to, really…) see his father’s face. “You are not to leave the Citadel under any circumstances. Are we clear?”

“…yes sir…”

“Good. Gladiolus. Please escort my son to his room.”

Noctis would’ve normally said he didn’t _need_ an escort, let alone to his own room, but he was in enough trouble already, so he remained silent and merely swam alongside Gladio as the older Mer guided him away.

“What were you thinking? What if some _men_ saw you?!” Gladio growled softly, but Noctis didn’t answer.

He couldn’t tell him… he couldn’t tell anyone.

And as he moved into his room, this time with his window locked and secured to keep him inside, he immediately went for the bed, curling up under his blankets and breathing steadily, even though his chest felt tight. He’d never kept a secret this big from anyone; had never seen the need, but this was something so great that he couldn’t possibly tell anyone. Everyone was too fearful of humans to even consider them to not be a threat to anyone.

Even if he told them that Prompto had saved him, it wouldn’t be enough. Even if he told them he’d just had a pleasant… well, it wasn’t really a “conversation”, but he supposed “meeting” was a good way to put it, with Prompto, no one would reconsider their ways. There was simply no way it could happen.

Absently he wondered if he could change things when he was king, but… nah. Probably not…

‘ _…why am I getting so worked up about this?_ ’ he thought with a small groan. ‘ _It’s not like I’m going to see him again… so stop worrying about him…_ ’

And yet worry he did, and it was a wonder he managed to get any sleep at all that night.


	5. Midnight Tutelage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Prom meets an old friend and spends time with a new friend.

It had been roughly a week and a half since Prompto had seen Noctis, and to be completely honest, he was worried about the Mer. He hoped the raven wasn’t in trouble or something. However, he had to focus on more important things, such as his latest photo shoot for a client that had taken an interest  in his pictures.

Sighing quietly, he adjusted his camera on its tripod, and then looked at the client and his family, a look of concentration on his face. He politely guided them into the perfect positioning and poses for the picture, and then snapped a few, hoping they would work for the family’s mantle. It was a simple job, really, but the client was paying him a hefty amount to get it right.

Once he was finished, he showed the client the pictures, and the man was definitely pleased. Prompto was paid well for his work, and he promised the client he would have the pictures emailed to him by the end of the day. The man smiled happily, and they parted ways. Prompto definitely followed through, though, and emailed the pictures as soon as he got back to the hotel room. He smiled slightly as he did, but that smile soon fell as his thoughts drifted back to Noctis.

Even though they barely knew each other, he still wanted to consider himself the raven’s friend. After all, he wouldn’t keep seeing him, right?

Suddenly, there was a bark from outside the window. Surprised, Prompto went to the window, and was surprised to see Umbra outside. He quickly headed to see the canine, and chuckled when he saw him.

“Hey, buddy, what are you doing here?” he asked, crouching in front of him.

“Bark!” the black dog barked happily, wagging his tail as the blonde man began to pet him.

“Prompto?” a familiar voice called out just then.

“Luna?” Prompto blinked, surprised to see the familiar blonde woman. “Hey! How have you been?”

Lunafreya giggled as she walked over. “I’ve been okay. What of yourself?”

“Pretty good, just trying to get some photoshoot jobs here and there, the usual,” he shrugged.

“That’s nice,” Luna said with a smile. “So, have you had any good jobs?”

“Got one earlier for a family photo session, so that was nice,” he grinned. “What have you been up to?”

“Ah, Ravus said I needed a vacation. Said I was working too hard. So…” She paused to giggle. “Here I am.”

“Still the overprotective brother, I see,” he chuckled. “Well, I’m glad he did it. It’s nice seeing a familiar face here.”

Luna giggled. “That it is. Would you like to walk around for a bit?”

“Sure! We can catch up, too. It’s been a while, it feels like,” Prompto nodded, petting Umbra again before he stood.

Luna smiled with a giggle as she patted her thigh, urging Umbra to follow as they started walking.

 

Meanwhile, Noctis was resting on his bed, quietly counting and rearranging his large collection of seashells. He hadn’t even realized just how many of them he’d collected over the years. They didn’t really serve any real purpose, either, but he just ended up getting them because they looked nice. With a small groan of annoyance, he pushed up and moved to his window, looking out through the small crack he was still allowed now. He _still_ wasn’t allowed to go outside, and he supposed it was only natural, with his earlier actions, but it still left him with a case of serious boredom.

Absently, he wondered if there was a chance for him to sneak out somehow…

The longer he thought of it, the more he actually _wanted_ to get out. And so he moved over to his closet and pulled out a simple black bag as he headed for his collection again. He picked up a few shells of each color, putting them into the bag, not even thinking twice about what he was doing. After a moment, though, Noctis frowned and moved over to the near wall, grabbing one more item to put in his bag.

With everything in place, he pulled his bag along his shoulders and swam for the window. After briefly looking out and not seeing anyone, he reached out and around. He hadn’t done this in ages, but no one had bothered to adjust this part of his window, which allowed him to undo the latch that held his window shut. And then, with a small smirk, he slipped out and swam off before anyone could see him.

It was foolish and would probably get him in even more trouble than he already was, but, at the time, he couldn’t bring himself to care about it.

He didn’t even notice the solemn gaze following his departure for the city of Altissia.

 

As they walked, Prompto asked: “So, how’s the work been lately? I know Ravus made you take a vacation, but is the work getting that rough?”

“Ravus seems to think so… I personally don’t agree,” Luna said calmly.

“Eh, to each their own, I like to say. No harm in taking a break here and there, after all,” Prompto shrugged.

Luna smiled warmly at the words, as they walked across a bridge. “I won’t deny that… though I feel like something’s changed in Altissia recently…”

“What do you mean?” he frowned.

“I’m not sure… it might have to do with the people coming here in an attempt to see the merfolk they say live around here,” Luna admitted with a shrug. “It’s almost like their numbers have doubled, if not tripled, over the past few weeks…”

“What? I’ve… heard of the merfolk, but I didn’t realize people were swarming to see them…” Prompto frowned.

“Well, it seems that these people seem to think very strongly that they exist… even if no one’s seen them before…” Luna sighed out. “Me personally, I’m not sure I believe anything of it. You?”

“Well, if something’s rumored to exist, there’s got to be a grain of truth to it, right?” he shrugged nonchalantly.

“I suppose you have a point…”

Suddenly Umbra whined as he sniffed at the air. And suddenly he barked and ran off.

“Ah! Umbra!!” Luna shouted as she hurried after.

“H-hey! Wait up!” Prompto yelped, and then took off after them.

After a short chase, Umbra ran out onto the dock, barking loudly. Shortly before the two blondes joined him, they caught the sound of something splashing into the water.

“Umbra! What did you do?!” Luna demanded as she hurried over.

“Hang on,” Prompto said, frowning curiously. He then got on his knees and ducked down to look beneath the dock.

As he looked around, he didn’t spot anything. But as he was sitting back up, he did catch sight of some sort of bag, clinging to one of the dock’s poles. Curious, the blonde pulled it off from the nail that had caught it, and looked inside. The black bag contained numerous different colored seashells, of varying shapes and sizes, and some in colors that Prompto didn’t even know existed.

“What did you find?” Luna asked as she moved over.

“They’re seashells,” he told her, and then realized Noctis must have brought them. ‘ _Dammit, Umbra, you scared him off!_ ’ he thought irritably.

“Seashells?” Luna asked, as she crouched down next to him. “Oh! Those are really pretty…”

“Yeah, they are,” Prompto smiled at her. Looking out to the water, he thought: ‘ _Thank you, Noctis._ ’

Nodding, Luna reached over and took one of the pale yellow seashells, turning it over curiously. “I wonder who left them here… maybe some child who’s gone to the beach and saved these up?”

“I dunno, but I’ll try and find out, hold on to them for now,” Prompto offered.

“Okay,” Luna agreed with a nod as she stood up. “So I guess you’re staying here for a while longer, then?”

“Yeah, until Dino’s finished with trying to get info on the merfolk, I guess. He’s the one who got me a ride here, and has helped me out with my stay at the hotel,” the blonde male explained.

“Alright. Perhaps we’ll see each other later, then,” Luna said with a smile. “I should be heading back before Ravus starts to worry… again.”

“Oh, he’s here with you, huh?” Prompto asked, standing as well.

“Of course. He’s convinced I won’t relax if he’s not here to keep an eye on me.”

This drew an amused laugh from Prompto. “I understand. I’m gonna head back soon myself, but it was nice seeing you, Luna,” he smiled, and then pet Umbra. “And nice seeing you, too, Umbra.”

“Bark!”

Luna giggled as she began to walk off, waving her goodbyes, with Umbra hurrying to catch up.

Once she was gone, Prompto looked out at the water, wondering if Noctis was still there, watching. It didn’t seem that way, however; the water remained as still as possible for the seas. But, before Prompto could sigh and begin to walk away…

“…Prom…pto?”

“Noctis?” the blonde gasped, and then looked back over, an excited grin on his face.

And sure enough, a little further away, peeking out from behind one of the boats moored at the docks, was the Mer in question. Once he was spotted, the Mer smiled a little, briefly disappearing under water, before he came back up by the docks, pulling himself up onto the wooden boards.

“It’s good to see you,” the smaller male smiled warmly, sitting on the dock with him.

Noctis tilted his head, taking in the words before he said slowly: “Good… to s…see you…”

Prompto smiled a bit wider, happy to know his words were coming through to the raven. His expression then became concerned. “Are you okay? I haven’t seen you in over a week…”

Those words made Noctis frown slightly in what seemed like annoyance, but in the end he nodded his head quietly.

“I was worried about you,” Prompto murmured, placing his hand on one of Noctis’.

At the touch, Noctis looked at their hands curiously. After a moment, though, he put his other hand over Prompto’s.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay,” the blonde whispered, smiling.

Noctis wasn’t sure what he was saying, but there was a sense of… relief? Yeah, he was pretty sure that was relief, in the blonde’s expression. But why would it be there, he wondered. Had he been worried?

That was the only reason Noctis could think of, but it didn’t make a lot of sense as to why.

“Oh!” Prompto exclaimed, before pulling over the bag of shells. “Thank you for this, they’re all really beautiful.”

When he brought out the bag, Noctis blinked, before he looked to Prompto with a look of concentration. “Beau…ti…ful?” he tried to say slowly.

“Yeah,” the blonde nodded. “I like them a lot.”

Again, Noctis wasn’t sure what was being said, but he supposed it wasn’t anything bad, given the look on Prompto’s face.

After a moment, Noctis suddenly reached for the bag and tugged it closer. Once he had it in his reach again, he began to rummage through it. Prompto watched him curiously, not even bothering to ask this time.

Finally, Noctis gave a small sound of what Prompto assumed was victory, and he pulled out a horn-like shell, colored in various shades of blue and green. Oddly enough, there also appeared to be holes poked into it. Seemingly satisfied, Noctis held up the shell to Prompto in a way that was almost expectantly.

“What?” Prompto asked, taking the shell in his hands.

When Prompto just turned the shell in his hands oddly, Noctis groaned before he put his hands by his mouth and blew into them.

“Oh, I understand,” Prompto nodded, and then found what he assumed was the mouthpiece at one end, and then blew into it. And sure enough, the shell produced a sound that was much like the sound of a normal horn, but it did have its own unique, specific sound to it, likely because it wasn’t initially from the surface. “That’s awesome!” Prompto grinned, looking at Noctis in amazement.

Noctis smiled at Prompto’s obvious excitement, before he gestured for Prompto to hand it over. When he did, Noctis pulled himself up a little better on his elbows, then put the horn to his own mouth and blew, while his fingers moved along the holes that were punctured into the side, creating an almost otherworldly melody.

The blonde listened and watched in awe, loving the almost eerie melody it created. It was somewhat enchanting to listen to it. And while it wasn’t a very long song, when it ended, Noctis seemed to consider something for a brief moment, before he handed the horn back to Prompto.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to play it like you, but thank you. I’ll treasure it always,” Prompto murmured, smiling again as he accepted it.

Noctis smiled as he leaned on his arms on the dock again. He hadn’t been sure if it’d be a smart idea to hand Prompto something like that, but it wasn’t like he used it himself. It was just something he’d picked up on a whim long ago, and no one would look up if it just up and disappeared. In the end, the expression on Prompto’s face was well worth it. Humans were really interesting with their varying facial expressions and very unlike other Mer he’d met.

//You’re welcome,// he said calmly.

The smaller male noticed the calm tone to Noctis’ speech, and relaxed.

“I _really_ wish we could understand each other,” he told him, sighing longingly.

Noctis cocked his head for a moment. He didn’t realize this, of course, but, like Prompto, he was wishing they could somehow understand each other better. He wondered if there was a way to do so…

An idea popping up in his head, the prince considered it for a few moments, before he suddenly prodded Prompto’s arm. “Prompto,” he said, glad that he got the word out in one time for once. //Human.// Then he pointed to himself. //Noctis. Mer.//

Prompto blinked, surprised, before he understood what the raven was doing. He was trying to teach the blonde some of his own language.

//Hu…man?// he tried.

Noctis nodded as he pointed to Prompto to show what the word meant.

“Human,” the smaller male said, understanding where this was going.

“Hu…man…” Noctis repeated slowly. Then he pointed to himself again. //Mer.//

//Mer,// Prompto repeated, smiling softly.

This made Noctis smile with a small chuckle, before he tilted his head.

“Mer,” the blonde said, chuckling as well.

“Mer,” Noctis repeated, the ‘r’ rolling slightly off his tongue.

Looking around, Prompto tried to think of something to have Noctis say so he could learn it. Then he thought of something, even if it seemed silly. Taking a lock of his own hair in his hand, he said, “Hair.” He remembered their last encounter, when he was curious about the raven’s own soft, silky locks, which was what gave him the idea. He then gently took a damp lock of Noctis’s hair in his other hand, and repeated the word. “Hair.”

Noctis blinked a little at the touch, fingering his own hair, before he seemed to get it. “Hair…” he repeated slowly, before he said with a smile: //Hair.//

//Hair,// Prompto repeated, and let go of the raven’s hair. Looking down, he placed his hand in the water, and looked back up at Noctis again. “Water,” he said.

Looking down at the water, Noctis smiled as he repeated: “Wa…ter,” right before he said: //Water.//

//Wa…ter,// Prompto repeated, almost stuttering out the word this time. He wished he knew how to tell Noctis thank you, but he wasn’t sure how to figure it out…

Unbeknownst to the human, Noctis was thinking around the same thing. While he normally didn’t say much himself, he felt it necessary to at least express his thanks. Thinking back to their earlier conversations, though, he found the answer soon enough.

//Thank you,// he said suddenly, startling Prompto. And then he said, doing his best to articulate it properly: “Th…ank…y-you.”

This drew a pleased smile on the blonde’s face, and he repeated back with a nod, //Thank you.//

Noctis smiled in return, his tail swaying along the water’s surface almost lazily.

Prompto then frowned in thought, wondering how he could ask the Mer if they were friends. He had no way of knowing how to ask, other than in his own language. ‘ _Damned language barrier,_ ’ he thought in frustration.

Noticing his frustration, Noctis frowned and poked him in the leg, cocking his head sideways in question.

“I don’t know how to ask if we’re friends,” Prompto sighed, knowing Noctis wouldn’t understand.

The Mer, of course, only looked at him oddly, not understanding what Prompto could be talking about that could make him look both frustrated and sad. Noctis wasn’t even aware a combo like that was a thing…

Since he had no idea what he could say (since it wouldn’t be understood, anyway), he merely reached out with one hand and placed it on Prompto’s leg.

The smaller male smiled sadly at Noctis. //Thank you, Noctis,// he murmured.

//…You’re welcome,// Noctis said in return, his tail curling around in the water in thought. Then, as an afterthought, though he would likely regret it later, he added: //We’re friends, after all.//

Prompto tilted his head curiously. “Wish I understood that…”

Noctis merely smiled in reply -- before he yelped and almost leapt in the blonde’s lap before he whirled around. //Dammit, Ignis!!//

“What?!” Prompto yelped, startled by the raven’s yelp.

Noctis snarled softly, before he looked to Prompto and grabbed hold of his hand. Before Prompto could ask, Noctis squeezed his hand firmly, and then he pushed off from the dock, diving backwards into the water again. Prompto watched the ripples from Noctis’ dive into the water, hoping everything was okay.

 

When Noctis swam down, he wasn’t surprised to see the sandy blonde Mer waiting for him, looking as serious as ever, of course. “Why are you here?” he asked with a slight growl.

“I believe I should be the one asking you that very same question. What are you doing here again?”

‘ _Again… so he knows I’ve come here before…_ ’ That news didn’t really surprise him, but he’d secretly been hoping he could’ve come out here without being spotted. But then again, this was Ignis he was talking about…

“…seeing a friend,” he finally admitted and this news seemed to actually surprise Ignis. Any other time he’d be laughing at the fact that he had managed to surprise Ignis, but this wasn’t the time for it.

“A… friend? Surely, you’re joking…”

“I’m not.”

Ignis was now frowning, obviously not pleased with the words, before he looked up to the surface.

And Noctis recognized that look. “…what are you planning?”

But Ignis didn’t respond; he merely shot up with a snap of his tail.

“ _IGNIS!! STOP!!_ ” Noctis shouted as he hurried after.

 

After almost five minutes of the Mer being under, Prompto caught motion from under the water. Blinking, the blonde leaned forward, watching the water’s surface. And the next thing Prompto was aware of was a hand reaching out and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and then abruptly pulling him down into the water.

Prompto gave a startled yelp, not knowing why Noctis would yank him into the water. The yelp immediately caused water to fill his mouth, which had him gargling instinctively as he tried to swim back up, though the bubbles around him made it difficult to see where he was going. Thankfully, a firm grip around his waist quickly pulled him up to the surface again. The blonde spluttered once he was at the surface, looking around wildly and very confused now. One of the first things he saw was the worried look on Noctis’ face as the Mer held him up with one arm around his waist, still.

“Why’d you pull me in?” he asked after spitting out some of the salt water in his mouth.

Noctis blinked twice, before he shook his head, and then pointed angrily over Prompto’s shoulder. Prompto then looked over his shoulder, and was quite surprised to see another Mer behind him.

The other Mer regarded him with a half frown, and it wasn’t sure if he was displeased or simply thinking deeply about something. //Seriously, Ignis! What’s the big idea?!// Noctis demanded.

Prompto looked between them, seriously confused now.

//Noct, you realize that this is a fool’s errand, correct?// Ignis asked simply, completely ignoring the prince’s question.

//What’s your point?// Noctis growled angrily.

Ignis frowned at the evasion, before he snorted. //My point, Noct, is that he is a human, and you are a Mer. There’s simply no way for our worlds to coexist.//

//…Yeah right,// the raven snorted. //I bet they can.//

//Don’t be a fool, Noct. There’s a good reason why our races do not come into contact.//

Noctis merely snorted, clearly not convinced by the words.

Prompto’s frown deepened, as he had no idea what was being said. He caught the words ‘human’ and ‘Mer’, but he didn’t understand the rest.

Ignis rubbed at his temples briefly when he realized his words were not getting through to Noctis, before he aimed his gaze at Prompto silently. The blonde met his gaze, his bright blue eyes curious, but he remained where he was in Noctis’ grip.

//…I assume you’ve no intention to stop this, then?// Ignis said solemnly. Noctis didn’t even bother to respond, and it made the other Mer shake his head lightly. //I’ll not stop you… but I’ll have to insist you not leave alone again.// The sandy-blonde waited until the words sank in, as Noctis’ eyes widened slightly, before he asked: //Agreed?//

//…yeah.//

Prompto still didn’t speak, knowing this was something the two needed to work out, based off their tones. He was curious to know what was being said, but he knew he wouldn’t find out anytime soon.

//See him off,// Ignis said firmly. //Before your father sends Drautos after you.//

//…yeah, okay…//

Ignis merely nodded, before he dived back under. Noctis regarded him for a moment, before he swam over to the edge of the dock with Prompto behind him.

“Who was that?” Prompto asked once the other Mer was gone.

“Ignis,” the Mer said as he looked around for a place to help Prompto get back up.

“Ignis? What did he want?” the smaller male inquired as he also looked around.

Noctis, of course, didn’t understand what was being said, so he wasn’t sure how to respond to that as he continued to look around. Finally, though, Noctis sighed in annoyance as he briefly let go of Prompto so that he could jump up onto the docks. And once there, he turned and pulled Prompto up out of the water.

//Thank you,// Prompto smiled once he was out, and then he slid out of the Mer’s lap and onto the docks.

The Mer nodded briefly as they sat there… before he blinked and reached for Prompto’s hair.

Prompto reached up and felt his hair, before realizing the gel had come out from being in the water for a while. He then groaned, knowing it would look weird on the way back, but there was nothing he could do until he showered.

Noctis tilted his head curiously, before he reached out and tried to get Prompto’s hair to stand up the way it had been before his sudden dunk in the water.

“Don’t worry about it,” Prompto smiled slightly, shaking his head a bit.

Naturally, Noctis looked at him oddly. Just then, there was a sound much like a shout, and the Mer groaned. //…I need to go…// he said solemnly.

“You gotta leave, huh?” Prompto guessed, sighing.

Realizing that Prompto knew what he’d meant, the Mer frowned sadly, before he moved over and hugged the human. “Take… care.”

Prompto hugged him back firmly, whispering, “You, too.”

Noctis nodded briefly, before he pulled away, and then pushed off from the dock and dived into the water again.

“I’ll see you hopefully soon, Noctis,” Prompto murmured, watching the water for a bit before getting up and beginning his trek back to the hotel.


	6. Spreading the Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keeping a secret is hard... that's why it's always nice if you can share it with someone.

Surprisingly, Ignis never once mentioned where Noctis had gone during his little ‘excursions’, saying it wasn’t his place to talk of it, and while Noctis was glad with that, at the same time, it somewhat hurt. Maybe it was because he was forced to keep the whole thing a secret for so long, but whatever the reason was, he needed to talk to someone about this. But he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it with his father just yet.

So… he went for the only person aside from Ignis and Gladio that he could trust to not judge him.

He wasn’t allowed to leave Insomnia, still, but at least he was allowed to leave the castle again. As long as he stayed in the area and in another Mer’s presence, of course. And thankfully, the Mer he had in mind for this was actually part of the staff at the castle.

As he swam through the halls, Noctis looked around for a moment, before he spotted who he’d been looking for and he swam over. “Hey, Iris?”

“Oh, hey Noct! What’s up?” the brunette asked, turning to face him.

“Listen… can I talk to you… in private, for a little bit?” the prince asked solemnly once he’d made sure there was no one around.

“Of course,” Iris nodded, noticing something was eating at the raven.

Nodding his head briefly, Noctis swam ahead, leading Iris out of the castle walls. Initially, the guards almost stopped him, until they realized Iris was with him and they let him go into the garden silently.

Once they came there, Noctis looked around slowly, just to be sure they were alone, before he turned to Iris. “Can… can I trust you to keep a secret, Iris?”

“Well, sure! As long as it’s nothing deadly, of course!” she giggled. “But seriously, I’ll keep any secret you tell me, Noctis.”

“…Promise? You can’t tell anyone… especially Father.”

“I promise, Noct. I won’t even tell Gladdy.”

“…Thank you…” Noctis murmured out, his black tail slightly swaying as he kept himself in place along the slight currents. “…I’ve… been to the surface.”

“What?! Were you seen?” Iris gasped, her eyes widening as her pink tail stiffened briefly.

“I… well, yeah.”

“But how did you get away? Did they try to capture you?”

“No… the thing is… well, you remember that heavy storm? When I swam out too far and got lost finding my way home?” Noctis asked, figuring the beginning was the best place to start.

“Yeah, I heard Gladdy complaining about it. Why?” Iris nodded, tilting her head curiously.

“I… might not have told the whole truth then…”

“What really happened?” she asked, before gasping. “Is that when you were seen?!”

Noctis took a deep breath, the water filtering through his throat to extract the oxygen, before he exhaled and said; “…I got washed ashore… my tail got stuck in a net and… I got stuck on a beach.”

The brunette’s hands flew to her mouth, stifling her gasp. “But how did you get away?”

“…One of the humans… cut the net and he… put me back in the water.”

“Wait, what? A human, who would have normally killed or captured you, freed you from netting and put you back in the water? Why?”

“I don’t know… but he just picked me up and… put me back.” Noctis ran a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t ask him about it… well, I could… but we don’t speak the same language.”

“Really? That’s strange…” Iris murmured, surprised. She then looked at him again worriedly. “Noctis, have you been going to see him? Is that why you’ve been sneaking out lately?”

“…” Noctis flinched at the words, but rather than answer, he reached up and rubbed at his shoulder, something he did when he was nervous.

“But humans are dangerous, Noctis! Why have you been going to see a human?” she questioned, concerned for the prince’s well-being.

“I _know_ , okay!?” Noctis said, trying not to shout and attract attention to themselves. “But even if that’s true, he _did_ save me! So, yeah, I probably shouldn’t have, but it’s only fair to _at least_ return the favor, right?”

“I’m sorry, Noctis, I just don’t want you to get hurt or anything… but I understand, sort of. Did you return the favor yet?” Iris murmured, her gaze curious.

“Well… yeah, but…”

“But…?”

“…I… _did_ meet with him afterwards…”

“Why? And don’t get me wrong, Noctis, I’ll keep this a secret, I’m just trying to understand the big picture, is all,” she told him.

Noctis wasn’t sure how to answer that initially, before he shrugged his shoulders a bit. “I guess… curiosity? I wanted to know why he was so… different from what the stories tell of humans. And somehow I… I consider him… to be a friend.”

“Well, I’d be happy for you, considering he’s someone other than a Mer here at the castle, but he’s a human, Noctis. I won’t tell anyone, but if or when you go see him again, please be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt…” she sighed, lowering her gaze. “Probably a stupid question, but in case anything _does_ happen, can I at least know his name?”

Noctis wasn’t entirely sure if it was a good idea to tell her, but he’d already told her this much, so might as well. “Sure… his name’s ‘Prompto’.”

“Prompto, huh? …Okay, now you’ve got me curious!” she whined, pouting. “What’s he look like?”

Noctis nearly flinched at the suddenness of the question, before he relaxed a bit. “He’s… well, his hair is this really bright yellow… and, this is really weird, but he can get it to stand up on end,” he said as he moved some of his own hair up in an attempt to simulate Prompto’s hair.

“Really? How?” Iris asked, smiling curiously as she started to become almost… excited about this human. For some reason, despite her instilled fear of them, she wanted to know about this exception to their stories.

“I don’t know… but water makes it stick to his head again, so maybe it’s something that’s normal above the surface?” Noctis admitted with a shrug.

“Who knows?” she shrugged as well. “What’s he like?”

“He’s… nice,” Noctis admitted as he moved over to one of the benches with Iris following after. “I’m not sure what he’s saying half the time, but… last time we ended up teaching each other.”

“He learned some of our language? That’s pretty good, for a human,” the brunette giggled.

“It’s not like his language is any easier… you know how we say ‘water’?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“Well they pronounce it as //water//,” he said, the word rolling off his tongue at the end.

“That’s so weird!” Iris gasped, a smile still on her face. “Humans are weird, but at least he seems like a good one, based off of what you’ve told me. What else can you tell me?”

Noctis thought for a moment, before he remembered something. “Oh yeah! He has this… I dunno what it is but it’s this… this square rock… well, I’m guessing it’s a rock anyway. But it has one side where it can show an area you have been before. It was so weird; we were at the edge of his Corale and it showed the beach where he found me before.”

“That’s weird, but cool! What else can you tell me? I like this so far,” Iris grinned.

Noctis thought for a moment before he grinned. “Did you know humans can change colors?”

“What?! That’s so weird! What colors do they turn?” she exclaimed.

“I don’t know how many colors they CAN turn… but Prompto’s face once got as red as a starfish! It was _sooooo_ weird!”

The brunette giggled at Noctis’ exclamation. “That’s too funny!”

Noctis chuckled at Iris’ words, before a thought came to him. “…you wanna meet him?”

Iris blinked, surprised by the offer. “Won’t you get in trouble for leaving again, though? Even with me?”

“No. As long as Ignis comes along, at least.”

“Do you think he’ll be okay with it?”

Noctis chuckled softly. “I think he knows that, even if he doesn’t come, I’d still go.”

“Okay, then I’d like to! Besides, I’m starting to see why you’re becoming more curious about him,” the brunette smiled.

 

Prompto was excited, to say the least. He’d been hired to take pictures of the Chocobo Water Race in Altissia, and he was incredibly eager for the event. He made sure his camera was completely squeaky clean, with full battery and plenty of space on the SD card so he could take a bunch of pictures.

It had been at least a few days since he’d last seen Noctis, but hopefully the day’s event would provide enough distraction to keep him from moping. He missed being in the calming presence of the Mer, despite them not being able to understand each other completely yet.

He headed out of the hotel, making his way to the race course, where he was already seeing several Chocobos and their riders there, preparing for the races. There were even merchandise tables out already, and some early shoppers there, too. Deciding to browse a little, Prompto looked around, before spotting a small Chocobo statue at one of the tables. It caught his eye, and he decided to buy it for Noctis, since the raven had given him that beautiful shell that could be played. Fortunately, it wasn’t too much, and he had enough gil left for later on. He hoped the Mer would like it.

Soon enough, it was time to head to the race course, and the blonde took a good perch where he could get some amazing shots during the race.

As the riders were getting ready to start, though, no one noticed as two figures moved slowly and carefully below the docks…

Noctis looked around cautiously, before he murmured: //Wow… there’s so many of them now…//

//Yeah… I wonder what those things they’re on are, though…// Iris hummed curiously.

//I don’t know… they’re riding them… so maybe these are like giant seahorses for them?//

//I guess so,// she shrugged. //Where do you think Prompto is?//

Noctis looked around for a moment, moving up a little bit and looking around. //I don’t see him yet… c’mon…// he whispered, ducking under the water and moving along the docks carefully.

Iris merely nodded, and followed after the raven.

The two Mer slowly moved around, taking great care to avoid the large creatures that the humans were riding. It was pretty interesting to see them going around and around though. //It looks like they’re racing… kinda like the annual seahorse races back in Insomnia,// Noctis murmured thoughtfully.

//Yeah, almost,// Iris agreed.

//Maybe…ah! I see him!// Noctis hissed pointing briefly before he moved up to the surface, making sure he remained hidden, still.

//Careful, Noctis!// Iris warned. //Don’t get hit by those things the humans are riding!//

//I know,// Noctis assured her, as he moved slowly.

Iris followed closely, staying beneath the prince since her tail color stood out more than Noctis’.

After a little more moving, Noctis stopped and pointed to the other side of the water. //Over there. You see ‘im? He’s got the rock-thing up by his face.//

//Yeah, I see him now!// Iris nodded. //It’s such a weird thing, that rock.//

//It is, huh?// Noctis chuckled as he watched Prompto from a distance.

//I wonder what he’s doing with it, though…// Iris commented curiously.

//Maybe he’s putting the places into the rock…// Noctis murmured thoughtfully.

//Maybe he can show us when we see him?// the brunette suggested.

//Yeah… but there’s too many humans now… we should wait until the race finishes.//

 

Finally, the race was over, and it had ended up being a photo finish, which Prompto had managed to capture on his camera. He was currently checking out the pictures while at the docks that evening, and the people had all left, heading back to the Leville for some rest or celebratory drinks. In the back of his mind, he was hoping to see Noctis while there, but his hopes weren’t too high, considering it had been a few days.

No sooner had he thought that, though, something suddenly hit him in the foot, and when he looked down, there was a small yellow seashell lying on his boot.

“Noctis?” the blonde called out, leaning down and picking up the seashell.

As he moved over to the edge of the docks, peeking over the edge, Noctis came out from under the dock with a small smile. “Prompto.”

“Hey,” the smaller male smiled back, happy to see the Mer again. He then remembered the Chocobo statue in his bag, and he held up a finger to the raven, telling him to hold on. Once he fished out the statue, he held it out to Noctis, handing it to him. “It’s for you. Since you gave me the shell that time.”

Blinking curiously, Noctis reached out and took the statue, turning it around between his fingers. He could tell it was a “rock”, but it looked just like the beasts that the humans had been riding on during the race earlier that day. After a long moment of turning the statue around several times, Noctis smiled and looked up to Prompto. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Prompto grinned. “I missed seeing you.”

Noctis smiled a bit, before he looked under the dock and made a gesture as if to say “Come on over.”

Prompto blinked, surprised, as a brunette mermaid joined Noctis at the dock, appearing a little nervous.

“Hi,” he smiled warmly, and she looked at Noctis, almost as though for a bit of guidance. The blonde knew she wouldn’t understand him like Noctis did, but he would still try. After all, no one gets anywhere without trying, right?

Noctis reached out and placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder, before he said to Prompto while gesturing to the smaller Mer: “Iris,” before he gestured to Prompto as he looked to the girl; “Prompto.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Iris,” Prompto chuckled, and the brunette smiled at the sound. She then pointed at his camera, and he looked down at it briefly before he understood. “You guys want to see today’s pictures, huh?” he asked, picking his camera out of his lap and pulling up the first picture of the day.

Noctis chuckled as he ducked under water briefly, before he jumped up onto the docks, pulling himself up with practiced ease. Once he was seated, he held out his hands to Iris. //C’mon, Iris.//

//Okay!// she nodded, and tried to copy his movements, but needed Noctis’ offered hands to help her up onto the wooden surface.

Prompto smiled warmly at the sight, and then leaned over, showing the two Mer his pictures from the day. Since Iris was shorter than Noctis, the two Mer were easily able to look at the camera while sitting on the same side of Prompto, with Noctis looking over Iris’ head. And some of the first pictures were, naturally, of the Chocobos at the starting line. As they progressed, though, the pictures showed the Chocobos racing through the water course, and eventually, the photo finish.

When they finished with the pictures, Noctis hummed in thought, before he put his fingers along the edge of the camera, and turned it around, tilting his head as he regarded it. Turning to Prompto, he asked: //How does it work?//

“What?” the blonde frowned, a bit puzzled, before it clicked, and his expresion became understanding. “Oh… Well, it just takes a picture. Here…” he said, and showed Noctis the button to actually take the picture, before he aimed the camera out at the setting sun, and pressed the button. It wouldn’t be the greatest picture, but it set a good example. Once it had been taken, he then pulled it up and showed the two.

//That’s so cool!// Iris gasped.

//So it’s just…?// Noctis murmured as he reached over and pushed against the button on top of the camera.

“Yeah,” Prompto smiled, glad he’d kept the flash off. God forbid if the flash startled the pair…

Curious now, Noctis brought forth the small statue Prompto had given him and held it in front of the lens of the camera, while pushing the button with his other finger.

Once the picture had been taken, Prompto gently took the camera, and pulled up the picture and showed them. “Looks good!”

//That’s a good one, Noctis!// Iris giggled.

Noctis laughed as he regarded the picture for a moment. //That’s almost ridiculously easy,// he said, but he was still smiling. //Why can’t we have rocks like this?//

//Maybe because they can’t work underwater?// the brunette shrugged, but she was smiling, too.

“Here,” Prompto said, before going back to the pictures he’d taken the day he’d first shown Noctis his camera. He then pulled up the flower beds, and showed Iris. “Noctis liked this one.”

Iris looked at the picture, pleasantly surprised by how pretty the things in the place were, before looking at Noctis. //What are those?//

//Prompto says they’re called “flowers”,// Noctis said calmly.

//They’re so pretty…// Iris murmured, awed, looking back at the picture.

“Do you like it?” the blonde asked, chuckling, and she looked at him, a bit puzzled by his words, before smiling as she looked at the picture again. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Noctis smiled at Iris’ obvious enjoyment of the smaller Mer. //See? I told you he was nice.//

//I see now~ I just wish we didn’t have to keep him a secret…// she sighed. //If only the others could understand he’s not a danger to us…//

//Yeah… but you know that’s not gonna happen anytime soon…// Noctis said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

//Unfortunately…// Iris mumbled.

“Are you okay? You sound sad,” Prompto murmured, noticing the change in the pair’s tones.

Noctis looked up at the words, recognizing them, before he nodded his head, though his expression didn’t change. He tried to think of a way to explain what was on their mind, using the few words he and Prompto had exchanged before. In the end, he had a bit of an idea on how to approach it.

Pointing to the ocean, Noctis said: //Mer,// before he pushed his finger to his temple, //think,// then he pointed to Prompto, //humans,// after which he reached over and pretended to try and strangle Iris, //are evil.//

“Ah… Mer think humans are bad, huh?” the blonde sighed. “Well, I’m not like that, obviously. It’s hard to change the minds of the majority when they almost all think the same. Especially after a long time…” But then he smiled. “I have hope, though. I think if more Mer knew there are some good humans, then things might change.”

Noctis tilted his head curiously, his tail swishing a little through the water below the dock, blinking at Prompto a few times.

“Don’t worry about it,” Prompto assured him, waving his hand dismissively.

//It’s times like this when I wish there wasn’t a language barrier,// Iris pouted.

//You’re telling me…// Noctis murmured softly. //Maybe if we could convince the others that humans aren’t all bad, we can work on that…//

//I guess we’d have to see…// Iris nodded.

“Noctis?” Prompto said suddenly, gaining the raven’s attention. “…Are we friends?”

“Fr… friends…?” Noctis repeated slowly with a small frown. He wasn’t sure what the word meant, but it seemed to be important to Prompto somehow.

“I just…I feel happy around you, Noctis… And after all the time we’ve spent together, I’d like to think we’re friends, y’know?” Prompto murmured, his gaze lowering to the water.

Spotting the depressed gaze, Noctis frowned as he pushed himself a little back. With Iris watching curiously, Noctis moved along behind her back and then wrapped his arms around Prompto’s shoulders from behind, once again resting his head between his shoulder blades. Iris smiled softly as she watched, knowing Noctis was trying to comfort his friend. Prompto however, relaxed a bit at the contact, even if the raven’s skin was damp.

Noctis held close for a moment longer, before he sat back a little and asked: //Better?//

“Yeah,” Prompto smiled slightly. //Thank you.//

//You’re welcome,// Noctis said as he squeezed Prompto’s shoulder. //That’s what friends are for, right?//

“Wish I knew what you said…” the blonde replied. Iris wished she knew what _Prompto_ was saying, just so she could help.

Noctis looked ready to say something, but then…

“Bark bark!”

Snapping his head up at the sound, Noct’s eyes widened in alarm, before he abruptly grabbed Iris’ wrist and dragged her down from the docks and into the water. Prompto was quick to scramble to his feet, surprised when both Pryna and Umbra ran over, their tails wagging at the sight of the blonde.

“Hey, guys! What are you two doing here?” he laughed as Pryna jumped up, licking his face.

The white and black dogs barked happily as Prompto petted them, their tails wagging happily. And shortly after, he caught a familiar giggle.

“I was wondering what had them so hyper all of a sudden,” Luna got out amidst her giggling.

“Hey, Luna,” the blonde male greeted. “What were you doing out with these two? I thought Ravus would have kept you close.”

“Well someone has to go on walks with them,” Luna giggled as she moved over. “And you know Ravus does not like doing that.”

“Fair enough,” Prompto chuckled. “I know, Pryna!” he laughed as she pushed her head against his hand. “It’s been a while, huh girl?”

Pryna barked with her tail wagging and her tongue hanging out. “I guess she’s still trying to thank you for helping her way back,” Luna giggled.

“True,” Prompto smiled, scratching behind her ears.

Suddenly, Umbra whined curiously and began to lick at Prompto’s shoulder.

“Umbra, what’s wrong?”

“It’s just water, buddy,” Prompto soothed, knowing the canine could smell Noctis.

Luna blinked as Umbra barked curiously. “How did your shoulder get wet, Prompto?”

“Oh, just a fish splashed me at a little while ago, and the water hit my shoulder,” Prompto lied. Well, it wasn’t a COMPLETE lie. Noctis _is_ technically part fish, he guessed.

Luna didn’t seem to believe that entirely, but she didn’t question it any further. “So I guess you were here for the races, right?” she asked, switching the topic for a the moment.

 

“Her again…” Noctis murmured as he and Iris watched the conversation from below the water.

“Hmm?” Iris hummed, looking at the prince curiously.

“She was here last time, too…” Noctis explained. “I think she’s a friend of Prompto’s…”

“Based off that smile, I’d say so,” the brunette agreed. “Those creatures scared me, though. That noise they made was loud!”

“I know… they’re fast. too…” Noctis mumbled. “That black one ran almost faster than I can swim.”

“At least we got in the water before they got here,” she murmured. “I wonder what Prompto was asking you before, though?”

“I don’t know… but it seems to be important,” the prince hummed, watching as the two humans told each other goodbye, after which the woman left, with her two beasts following after her. The black one stopped momentarily, though, to bark at the water, before the woman got it to follow. “…Right, let’s give it a few more moments, kay?”

“Okay,” she nodded, and looked at Noctis. He almost seemed…jealous? But that couldn’t be right. Why would he be jealous of the woman?

Noctis didn’t spot the look and instead only waited for the woman to be completely gone, before he snapped out his tail and got up to lean onto the dock again with just his arms. Iris was quick to follow, leaning on the dock as well.

“Hey, sorry about them,” Prompto apologized once he was sitting again after he noticed the raven’s and Iris’s return.

Noctis tilted his head curiously. He wanted to ask, but he wasn’t sure if it’d be understood as well as he would like it to be, before he pointed in Luna’s direction. //Friend?// he asked, choosing to keep the question as simple as possible.

“Huh? Oh, she’s an old friend of mine,” the blonde said. He then blinked, wondering if Noctis had said ‘friend’ in the Mer language.

“Fr…friend…?” Noctis repeated slowly. It was similar to the earlier word, only it didn’t last as long. Maybe it _was_ the same word? He wasn’t sure…

Prompto then smiled brightly, finally knowing how to ask the raven if they were friends. //Prompto, Noctis, friends?// he tried.

Noctis blinked at the sudden “question”, before he frowned with a sly smirk. He pushed up and lightly punched/pushed his fist against Prompto’s shoulder. //Yes, we are,// he confirmed with a nod and a laugh.

Prompto pouted, but he was relieved. “I wasn’t sure!” he exclaimed, still pouting. Iris laughed as well, glad that the pair seemed to be on the same page now, for the most part.

//Noct! Iris!// a voice suddenly shouted, making the two Mer look over in surprise. Of course, it turned out to be Ignis. //It’s gotten late. We need to go.//

//Dammit…// Noctis hissed out in slight annoyance.

“It’s that time, huh?” Prompto sighed, hearing the shout. “I’ll see you soon, right?” he asked, placing his hand on one of Noctis’.

Noctis looked at the hand on his own, before he looked to Prompto. He was sure he’d said those words before, and with the hopeful look on his face, it probably meant something like ‘see you soon’.

“See you… s-soon,” he repeated with a nod.

The blonde’s expression brightened, and he smiled warmly at the Mer. “Take care, both of you.”

Iris smiled at Prompto, before waving and dropping back down beneath the water’s surface. Noctis nodded his head as he let himself lower down, though he was still holding onto the docks. “Take care,” he said then, before he ducked below the water to join the other Mer.

 

“You know, that was fun! Prompto really _is_ nice, just like you said, Noct!” Iris giggled as she and the prince swam over to Ignis.

“I told you so,” Noctis laughed softly.

“Are you done?” Ignis asked solemnly. “Let’s be off, now.”

The two younger Mer nodded before they followed after, with Noctis’ hand holding tightly to the Chcocobo statue he’d been given by Prompto.

 

However, what none of them realized, was that their movements were closely followed.

“Did you see that?”

“See that, I did, for sure!”

The two voices sounded almost eerily similar, as the two ‘Mer’ watched the three others swim away. Unlike the trio of Mer swimming away, with their sleek fish-like tails, their tails were sharper, and there was a sharp fin protruding from their backs just above where the tail connected to the torso. On top of that, their skin was darker and matched their greenish-black tails.

“This is interesting!/Very interesting, this is!” the pair said at the same time, before they turned to each other. “We must tell the sorceress!/Tell the sorceress, we must!”

With that said, the pair took off swimming, their tails snapping from side to side as they propelled themselves forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh...


	7. Soul Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which even Prompto needs to share the secret he carries...

It was a quiet day that found Noctis in his room, for once not because he had to be there, but because he wanted to be. He was lying on his bed, arms above his head and his fingers playing with the small statue that Prompto had given him about a month ago. It was a small, silly little thing, and he had _no_ idea what the creature it represented was called (he probably should’ve asked), but that wasn’t even that important. What was, was that it had been a gift from Prompto.

Sure, it was probably in response to Noctis’ earlier gift, but it just felt… different. Then again, he’d never really been given a “gift” without some sort of ulterior motive behind it. Any gift he’d received prior to that, had always been with the intent of gaining favor from the royal family. Prompto, however, had _no_ idea he was even royalty, so he had no other reason to give him something other than just _wanting_ to give him something.

Something about that… just made him feel good.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Noctis almost yowled as he shot up and shoved the statue under his pillow and looked to the door. “Yeah?”

“Hey Noct,” Iris greeted, poking her head into the room. “Whatcha doing?”

“Ah… nothing, really,” Noctis said with a shrug as he relaxed somewhat.

“Thinking about Prompto?” she asked once she was inside and the door was shut behind her.

Noctis flinched sharply at the question, before he took a small breath. “Huh? Where’d that come from suddenly?”

“What? I just thought you were thinking about seeing him again soon. You just seem distracted some days, that’s all,” the brunette told him.

Noctis tried to keep himself from twitching his fingers along the bed, but it wasn’t easy. “Well, can you really blame me? He’s… interesting, and if I’m going to break down the barriers between our races later, I need to learn about his world, right?”

“I think there’s more to it than that, Noct,” Iris murmured, moving to sit beside him.

“Wh-what makes you say that?” Noctis got out, his fin twitching slightly.

“I’ve never seen you so interested in _anyone_ , even though he’s human,” she replied.

“Y-yeah, so?” Noctis asked, fingers curling in the blankets.

“Noct… Why are you getting so nervous? I’m not trying to interrogate you or anything,” the brunette murmured, concerned.

“I’m _not_ nervous!” Noctis said pointedly.

“Then why were you stuttering? Look, to be blunt, I think you like him,” she said, looking at him seriously.

“Wha…?! D-don’t be silly! He’s a human! As kind as he is, that’s impossible!” Noctis pointed out, but, somewhere, that knowledge made him feel really weird… and it was almost painful.

“Noctis, there’s nothing wrong with that, _I_ think. In fact, I’d be happy if he feels the same,” Iris replied calmly. “He’s a great guy.”

“But… it just… even _if_ that was the case… it wouldn’t work…” Noctis pointed out with a heavy exhalation. “I mean, I couldn’t stay above the water, and Prompto can’t stay below it. Either way you slice it, it just won’t—it _can’t_ work.”

“There’s gotta be something that would make it work, though!” Iris pouted, becoming frustrated. “Don’t give up hope, ‘cause I’m sure there’s something that would make things work.”

“Well it’s not like I can just split my tail in two and _suddenly_ I can breathe above land and walk like humans can…”

“I know that,” she sighed. “Still…don’t give up hope. Just think on it, kay?” And with that said, Iris got up and left, leaving Noctis alone with his thoughts.

Noctis watched as the door fell shut behind her, before he groaned and flopped back on the bed. Absently, he reached under his pillow and pulled out the statue again.

‘ _… “like”… huh?_ ’

 

It had been about a month since Prompto had seen Noctis and met Iris, but he wasn’t too concerned about the lack of the raven’s presence. After all, Noctis had said he would see him again. However, the blonde just couldn’t stop thinking about the Mer. Even as he walked the streets of Lestallum, the raven wouldn’t leave his thoughts. Not that he wanted him to.

He had to admit, even though Noctis is a Mer, he had an attractive aura and quality to him, and it drew Prompto in sometimes. He knew they were friends now, but it still would be impossible for them to be together ALL the time. After all, Prompto lived on the land, and Noctis in the sea. Despite this, Prompto couldn’t help but hope.

However, he had to focus on the job at hand today. He was only in Lestallum for the day for a quick job taking photos for the power plant workers, since it was an anniversary for them in however many years they’d been operating for. Once he got there, it was easy work to snap pictures of the event for the women there, and he assured the owner he would email her the pictures once he was back at the hotel. As he left, however, he was pleasantly surprised to hear a familiar voice.

“Prompto!” Luna’s voice called out, shortly followed by a familiar set of barks that came closer and closer.

“Oh, hey Luna!” Prompto greeted, and then looked at her furry friends. “Hi Pryna, Hi Umbra.”

“Bark bark!”

Luna smiled as she walked over. “We seem to be running into each other a lot these days, aren’t we?”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Prompto chuckled. “After all, we hadn’t seen each other in months before Altissia.”

Luna giggled as Pryna hopped up against Prompto’s leg with a hyper bark. “True… so what brings you here?”

“Just another job, this time taking pictures for the power plant,” he replied while petting Pryna.

“Well, you’ve certainly been busy, haven’t you?” Luna smiled.

“Gotta earn money to live,” Prompto pointed out with a laugh.

“True, true,” Luna agreed with a smile, before she put her hands. “Sooo…”

“What’s up?” Prompto inquired, looking at her curiously as he paused in petting the white dog.

Luna allowed a small, bemused smile as she asked: “Who’s the lucky one, hm?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, you were walking around with a look on your face like a lovesick puppy, so… who’s the lucky one?” she asked with a warm smile.

“It’s no one, really!” Prompto said quickly, blushing.

“Then why are you blushing?” Luna giggled.

“Luna!” he whined.

“C’mon, Prom,” Luna said with smile, “you know I won’t judge you, right? Maybe I can help you.”

Prompto had a torn look on his face, before he finally sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you. But let’s go to the hotel, where we can talk in private, please?”

Luna blinked in surprise. She wasn’t expecting Prompto to be this unsure about talking on what was clearly on his mind. “Yes, of course,” she said with a small nod.

“Thanks,” he sighed, relieved.

 

Once the two got to the hotel, which was, fortunately, dog friendly, they headed to Prompto’s room and the pair sat on the bed.

“I’m not exactly sure where to start, to be honest,” the blonde male admitted, rubbing his upper arm nervously.

“Take your time, Prom,” Luna offered as she placed a hand on his. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“O…okay…” he murmured, and then took a deep breath before starting. “Okay, so, probably about two months ago now, I was at Cape Caem, shooting pics for my resume, but I found someone on the beach, who was tangled up in netting and garbage. When I went to help him, he was really nervous, and I found out why. He was a Mer. I freed him and helped him back into the water, and even then, he didn’t seem to want to go… I gave him my name, and found out his name is Noctis. He also doesn’t speak the same language. The Mer speak their own language. Finally, he did go home, but he saved my life and retrieved my camera when I was knocked off the boat to Altissia by a _huge_ water dragon. He then brought me back to the boat, and we’ve met on occasion at the docks in Altissia since. Last time, I even met one of his friends. But I’m not sure if Pryna or Umbra like the Mer much, since they scared Noctis a couple times.” At this, he sighed. “And that’s about it…”

Luna had remained quiet for the duration of his explanation, but it was clear she was surprised with the turn of events that Prompto was describing. After letting the information sink in, she asked: “Prom, I don’t want to sound skeptical… but are you sure you weren’t just dreaming? I’m not trying to be cruel, but…”

“Remember that bag of seashells?” he reminded her, becoming a bit upset that she was doubting him. “That was Noctis. And that’s why Umbra took off that day, he knew it was Noctis. Not only that, but remember the last time we were at the docks when my shoulder was wet? That was because Noctis had hugged me.”

“Calm down, Prom,” Luna hushed, noticing he was getting actually upset. “I’m not trying to be mean or anything… but I’ve never met a Mer before, you know that. So I have a little trouble in just believing it, though, believe me, I _do_ want to.”

“…What if I brought you with me to meet him? Would that help?” Prompto asked softly.

Luna blinked. “Well… I suppose. But do you think he’ll come when I’m there with you?”

“Maybe. If so, though, would you want to meet him?” Prompto insisted.

“Yes, of course,” Luna said with a smile. “I’d love to.”

“Awesome,” the blonde male grinned.

 

Noctis sighed as he swam along the halls, bored out of his mind. Iris was too busy working to keep him entertained, or to join him on a potential trip to the surface. He _knew_ it was a bad idea to keep doing this, that he couldn’t just keep meeting with a _human_ , just because of a bout of curiosity…

But was it really that anymore?

Maybe it had been once… but now? In the hours he’d spent laying in his room after Iris left, he’d come to the realization that, no, it definitely wasn’t just a matter of simple curiosity anymore. He found himself wishing he could spend _more_ time with Prompto… but staying above the surface too long was dangerous, he knew. There was no way for him to stay above the surface for longer than an hour, at the very least, without going back under to ease his lungs.

And that thought was actually very depressing to him…

Shaking his head, Noctis swam around to the kitchen, where he knew Ignis would be.

“Ignis?” he called out.

“Hm?” the other Mer hummed as he glanced over from where he was working. “Yes, Noct?” he asked, until he noticed the look on the younger’s face and he gave another hum. “That time again, hm?”

“…am I that obvious?” Noctis asked slowly.

“If you know where to look, yes,” Ignis confessed, before he frowned. “Have you mentioned this to your father, yet?”

The silence that followed was answer enough and Ignis sighed. “…I do not intend to have you stay long today, Noct.”

“…That’s fine.”

It’d probably be better if he told his father and confessed what was on his mind… but he was afraid… afraid of what might happen if he did. He’d take what he could get for now, and then he’d figure out what to do after.

 

As night fell, the two blondes found themselves walking along the streets of Altissia. It was a quiet summer’s day, and while the streets were far more crowded than usual, the closer they got to the docks, the less people they saw.

“It’s a nice night, isn’t it?” Luna hummed softly as they walked.

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, hoping Noctis would show up, even _with_ Luna joining him.

As they walked out to the docks, Umbra and Pryna whined softly as they looked around, before Umbra sat back and scratched at his neck, making his collar rattle.

“Good thing you leashed them, otherwise I don’t think they’d take too kindly to him,” Prompto murmured.

“I doubt they’d try to hurt him… but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Luna agreed with a nod as they stopped along edge of the dock. “So this is where you usually meet him?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if he’ll come for sure, as it’s usually random, but whenever he’s able to is fine,” Prompto explained, before sitting at the dock, letting his legs dangle over the water.

Luna hummed thoughtfully as she sat down next to him, urging Pryna and Umbra to do so, too. “So… what’s Noctis like? As in, what does he look like?”

“He’s got black hair and a matching tail, and he has dark blue eyes. They kinda match the ocean, when I think about it,” the blonde male replied with a smile.

This comment made the other blonde giggle. “Wow, you _really_ have it bad, don’t you?”

“Hey!” he pouted.

“I’m just teasing you, Prom.”

“Still… But I guess you’re right. He even loves my pictures. I showed him them the first time we met here,” he told her. “He especially seemed to love the flowers here in Altissia.”

“Well, I guess there aren’t really any flowers underwater, huh?’

“Good point,” Prompto chuckled. Looking out over the water, he hoped Noctis was coming, if not already there and just hiding. Suddenly, there was a small tug on his foot, and immediately, Prompto looked down through his legs hopefully.

As Prompto looked under the docks, it took him only a moment to spot Noctis, even if he was still mostly beneath the water.

“Hey Noctis,” Prompto smiled in greeting. “It’s okay, I have a friend with me.”

Noctis seemed a little nervous, biting down on his lip and not moving just yet.

“I promise, she’s okay,” the blonde murmured. Pointing to Luna, he added, //Friend.//

While Luna looked at him oddly, the word seemed to calm Noctis down enough that he swam out from under the dock, As soon as he came out from under the dock, Luna stared openly for a few moments, before she smiled politely. “Hello there.”

“Noctis,” Prompto said, gesturing to the Mer, and then he gestured to Luna. “Luna.”

Noctis regarded Luna for a moment, a small frown on his face, before he said slowly: //Hello…//

Though Luna didn’t understand what he’d just said, she still smiled warmly at him. “Hello, Noctis. It’s nice to meet you.”

“She’s like Iris, Noctis. You can trust her,” Prompto promised.

The Mer tilted his head briefly, frowning as he tried to make sense of the words, before he nodded softly… and then ducked back under the water.

“What is he—”

But before Luna could finish, Noctis jumped out of the water, snagged the edge of the dock, and then easily snagged himself onto the dock, briefly adjusting his tail. This sight, of course, had Luna staring at the Mer’s lower body, before she swiftly shook it off, trying desperately not to stare.

“Hey,” Prompto smiled at the raven, chuckling at Luna’s reaction. “Where’s Iris?”

Noctis blinked once, before he realized that Prompto was probably asking where Iris was at. He briefly considered how to reply, and then he finally settled on: //Work, back home,// while pointing in the basic direction of the Corale.

“Home, huh?” Prompto guessed, and nodded. “That’s okay.” Looking at Luna, he said, “When you heard me earlier, I was speaking Mer. Noctis has taught me a bit of his language, and vice versa.”

“Ooh,” Luna said with a nod. “I see… that’s interesting.”

Suddenly, before Luna could stop him, Umbra barked and almost jumped over Prompto’s lap toward Noctis. But before the Mer could leap away in alarm, the dog jumped up against him and abruptly licked his face. Which had the Mer yelping in surprise as he tried to get the dog off of him.

“Umbra!!” Luna choked out in alarm, tugging on the dog’s leash to get him back. “Bad dog! Stop that!”

Prompto quickly pulled Umbra back by his collar, and laughed. “Seems Umbra likes Noctis after all,” he snickered, highly amused by Noctis’ surprised expression. “Looks like we were worried for nothing.”

Noctis was blinking at the beast in slight confusion as he rubbed at the cheek that had just gotten licked. It hadn’t been _bad_ , but it was definitely unexpected. He’d initially assumed the creature to want to bite him and possibly eating him if it got to him, but, given the current situation, it seemed more intent on making friends than anything.

“I’m so sorry, Noctis,” Luna said as she tried to hold back Umbra, who was panting happily, still trying to get to the Mer again.

“Umbra, it’s okay, he’s not going yet,” Prompto soothed, petting the black dog’s ears. Turning back to the Mer, he smiled. “Umbra wants to make friends, it looks like.” At this, he chuckled.

The Mer took note of what Prompto had just done to the dog’s ear, and how the creature—Umbra, was it?—seemed to enjoy it and he briefly wondered. After a brief moment of consideration, he moved forward slightly reaching out with one tentative hand toward the dog’s head. Spotting this, Umbra’s tail wagged as he barked once, bumping his head into Noctis’ hand. This made the Mer retract for a moment with a brief gasp, freezing up, before he reached forward again and lightly petted his head, making Umbra pant happily.

Luna giggled at the raven’s cautious touch, watching as Noctis smiled softly as Umbra pushed into the touch happily.

“He likes that,” Prompto chuckled, happy to see that Umbra just wanted to be friends with Noctis. After all, the poor Mer had been scared off twice already by the canine.

Pryna merely watched curiously from Luna’s side, but she didn’t seem as interested as Umbra, and she, instead, rested her muzzle in Luna’s lap. And Umbra, eventually, barked once before he rested along Prompto’s lap sleepily, still panting lightly from the attention he was getting from Noctis, who was now using both hands to ruffle the area behind his ears with great amusement.

“Not so bad, huh?” the smaller male asked when he noticed how happy Noctis was just petting Umbra’s ears.

Noctis briefly looked up at the words, blinking, before he turned back to Umbra, until it became clear the dog had fallen asleep, and he sat back a little bit. Once he had, though, he looked to Prompto while pointing to Umbra curiously.

“Dog,” Prompto told him.

“D…dog?” Noctis repeated slowly, making Luna smile softly.

“Yes. His name is ‘Umbra’,” she said, before pointing to Pryna. “This is Pryna.”

“Um…bra… Pr-Pryn…na?”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded. “Do you like them?”

Noctis remembered those words, and he was starting to get a basic idea for what it meant. So he nodded his head, a small smile playing on his face.

“Good,” the blonde male chuckled, sighing contently. He was glad he’d told Luna about Noctis now, and that she got to meet him. Even Umbra had made a new friend in the process.

After a moment more, Noctis stretched his arms over his head, groaning a bit at the heavy motions of his arms. He’d probably never get used to how heavy his body felt once he got out of the water.

“Are you okay, Noctis?” Luna asked, concerned.

He caught the meaning of those words, and he nodded before he paused with an explanation on his lips. How was he supposed to explain this? Eventually, he settled on //Heavy,// as he made a motion with his arms as if he was trying to lift something of great weight.

“Ah, you feel heavier on land, I get it,” Prompto nodded. “Makes sense. Everything feels light weight in the water.”

“True… I often get the same feeling after swimming. It’s really awkward…” Luna agreed.

Noctis wasn’t sure if he understood what he was trying to say, but he liked to believe they did. As he continued to sit there, though, his gaze eventually shifted to Prompto and Luna’s legs, before shifting to his own lower half, and the black scales that made up his tail. And, not for the first time, he wondered what it would be like to be just the same… to be able to _walk_ …

“You okay?” Prompto asked softly, noticing his almost…longing gaze.

“Y…yeah,” Noctis got out, trying the word out for the first time, but he was sure Prompto would notice something was off.

“Noctis…” the blonde murmured, placing his hand on the raven’s comfortingly.

The Mer almost tensed, but he managed to hold it in as he tried to keep his breath even—because he’d need to get back under sooner if he breathed in too much of the heavy air, because there was just too _much_ oxygen in it—and he nodded. “I’m… o-okay…” he got out.

Prompto knew something was off, but he decided not to push it. After all, he didn’t want to upset his friend. “Okay. I’m here for you, though,” he smiled softly.

Luna watched the scene for a moment more, looking back and forth between the pair, before smiling warmly. Even if the pair didn’t notice, it was pretty obvious that not just Prompto, but _both of them_ had it really bad. She, of course, didn’t mind this at all; in fact she was happy for her friend… the only problem was, obviously, the difference in race.

Noctis blinked when he noticed her look and he frowned at her, almost darkly, but Luna merely smiled and shook her head, assuring him quietly it was nothing.

Prompto smiled softly as he idly scratched behind Umbra’s ears, before looking at Noctis. “I’m glad you came tonight. I missed you.”

Of course, Noctis looked at him oddly, before he frowned in concentration as his tail moved along the water’s surface. He’d heard those words before, but he still wasn’t sure what they meant. They could mean anything, really.

Knowing Noctis didn’t understand, Prompto waved his hand dismissively. He would be content to hang out all night long with the Mer, but unfortunately, his body had other ideas, as he gave a yawn.

At that sound, Noctis actually stared at the blonde in awe, before he moved closer to look at Prompto’s face properly. //What did you do that for??// he asked curiously, and Luna laughed at the Mer’s obvious intrigue.

“I’m just getting tired, sorry,” Prompto chuckled.

Noctis cocked his head, about to ask something else – when there was a loud, almost wailing sound that made his head snap up in alarm.

“What? What’s wrong?” Luna asked worriedly.

“You gotta go home, huh?” Prompto guessed, noticing the look.

Before Noctis could respond, though…

//Noct!!// the (by now) familiar voice shouted as the other Mer appeared above the surface. //They’ve returned! We need to go! _NOW!_ //

Noctis nodded swiftly before he turned to Prompto and Luna. //I have to go!// he said urgently, moving toward the edge of the dock.

“I’ll see you!” Prompto said hurriedly, helping Noctis to the dock’s edge.

Noctis merely nodded. “Take care,” he said swiftly, before he pushed off and disappeared under the water with a graceful dive.

“And he’s gone…” Luna murmured.

“I hope everything’s okay… It sounded like something’s wrong,” Prompto frowned.

“That doesn’t usually happen?” Luna guessed.

“No, not like that,” the blonde male answered, watching where Ignis had disappeared beneath the water with a frown.

Luna frowned in worry, before she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

“Yeah, I just hope he’s careful, whatever it is that’s the problem,” Prompto sighed, before getting to his feet. “We’d best head back to the hotel. I’m tired as hell…”

“Right. Umbra, let’s go,” Luna called, tugging Umbra back up.

“You did good today, boy,” Prompto smiled at the black dog, petting him briefly as the small group headed off to the hotel.

 

Noctis didn’t remember there having ever been a time where he swam as fast as he had then. Even during that first time he’d hurried home after secretly meeting with Prompto he’d not swam this fast. He hadn’t even known he _could_ swim this fast, but he wasn’t about to question it as he rushed after Ignis and swam into Insomnia before the heavy barrier that his father would summon around the Corale slammed into place, simultaneously protecting the inhabitants and trapping them within it.

Sure, it wasn’t ‘impossible’ to get out, but it was considerably more difficult now. But if _they_ had really returned… if Niflheim was back on the currents of war… then it was only natural that his father called up the barrier.

Noctis breathed a little heavily once they were back in the Citadel, and he leaned back against the wall with a heavy breath.

“Are you alright, Noct?” Ignis asked worriedly.

“I’m fine… I’m fine…” Noctis breathed. “Just… just gimme a minute.” Once he’d collected his breath, he exhaled and turned to Ignis. “Do you… think they’ll try something?”

“I’d certainly hope not,” Ignis admitted. “But we can never be certain… however, it would be wise for you to stay in Insomnia until the matter flows over.”

“…right.”

‘ _Yeah… yeah, that’d be smart… it wouldn’t do if… if something bad happened…_ ’

It wasn’t like him, but he was suddenly thinking of all kinds of doom scenarios of what _could_ happen. There was just so much that _could_ go wrong, and he shuddered to think of what _would_ happen.

While the Mer definitely ate fish and smaller shellfish, they weren’t real ‘predators’ of the sea, as they could fill themselves on just seaweed and algae, though that was certainly not the most optimal way to do so. The Wyf of Niflheim, however, did not share that taste. They were known as true predators, and back during the Great War, they had even devoured any Mew soldiers defeated in battle, and this very notion filled him with a cold sense of dread.

Supposedly, the Wyf also attacked human vessels for no other reason than sport… and this thought in particular made him feel sick. What if they attacked one of the boats that Prompto was on? He knew Prompto had to use the boats to travel from the place he’d found him to the Corale they continued to meet at, so what if the Wyf attacked the boat he was on?

What if… they came for him…?

“Noct.”

Noctis jumped at the call and he looked up at Ignis. “Huh?”

“Let’s go. Your father will likely want to discuss things with you.”

“…right.”

‘ _Right… of course… just… just breathe. Just make sure they don’t attack anything… and it’ll be fine…_ ’

He swam after Ignis, to meet with his father, to discuss what to do about the Wyf before they could be attacked… and before the Wyf could cause any damage…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so "Wyf" is based on the Dutch word "Wief", an old dialect slang term for "seductive women". It was also regularly used to speak of Mermaids, I believe, hence my decision to use this word.


	8. Pour Unfortunate Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis makes a decision that will change everything...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the chapter title is a reference.

It had been a week since news of the Wyf’s return had been brought to light, and the royal family of Insomnia had been extremely busy in thinking of a proper plan to tackle the situation. It was on the morning of the seventh day that Iris headed to Noctis’ room, to wake him up for breakfast. Once she got to his door, she knocked a few times before calling out.

“Noctis, it’s time for breakfast!”

Surprisingly, there was no response from the other side of the door.

“Ugh, same story, different day,” she grumbled, before calling out: “I’m coming in, Noct! Better get up!”

When there was no response, again, the younger Mer moved into the room. But as she moved to the bed to wake Noctis, she was surprised to see he wasn’t actually in bed.

“Noctis?” Iris called, before spotting him at his window, fast asleep, his head resting on his folded arms and his tail curled around the chair he was sitting upon. Her expression became one of concern when she saw this, before she went over to him and gently shook him awake. “Noct, you gotta wake up. It’s time for breakfast.”

The prince groaned as he wearily blinked his eyes open, looking up at Iris lazily. “…Iris…?”

“Hey,” she smiled, before frowning in worry. “Why were you at your window?”

“I was…” Noctis started before he frowned, rubbing at his temples. “I was… I… what was i doing?”

“Were you thinking about Prompto last night?” Iris asked curiously.

“…yeah…”

“How’d it go when you saw him last week?” she asked.

“He… brought that girl over…” Noctis groaned as he rubbed at his eyes. “The one with the creatures…”

“Oh? Was everything okay?”

“Yeah… they just wanted to be friends, apparently…”

“That’s good,” Iris giggled, before her expression turned concerned again. “Are you going to be okay? You still seem really out of it…”

“I’ll be okay…” Noctis sighed as he pushed up from the window.

“Okay,” the brunette nodded, still unsure. “Were you dreaming?”

“…I guess I was…”

“You guess? What was it about?”

Noctis thought back to his dream for a moment, before he shook his head slowly. “I’d rather not talk about it…”

“I understand,” she nodded. “Let’s at least get you to breakfast before the King starts to worry.”

“Right…” Noctis murmured as he quietly swam out of his room.

Iris sighed once he was out, before following after, hoping that someway, somehow, the prince COULD be with Prompto.

Once they got to the dining hall, Regis looked up from the reports he had been going over, before he nodded to his son, clearly worried about his apparel, though he only nodded in greeting, as he always did. Noctis merely returned the gesture as he moved over and took his own seat quietly.

“Noct,” Regis said once their breakfast had been brought over, “did you sleep well?”

“…well enough, given the circumstances…” Noctis admitted, briefly prodding at his food before he began eating.

As the royals ate, Iris listened in quietly as their breakfast was eaten, simply cleaning up in the dining room here and there. She was worried about Noctis, mostly about his mental state, but she couldn’t say anything with Regis _right there_.

Noctis, meanwhile, was at a loss. His secret was eating away at him from the inside and he realized he’d kept this going for FAR too long, but he knew he couldn’t bring it up now. His father – and he as well, to be fair… – had much more pressing issues to deal with, and he couldn’t possibly go to see Prompto at this point… at least not until all of this had been settled. And lord knows how long THAT would take…

He sat down the fork. Suddenly he wasn’t very hungry.

“Noct,” Regis said firmly but kindly.

“I’m sorry… I… I’m not hungry…” he murmured, before he abruptly swam out of the room, not looking up when his father called out to him.

“Noctis!” Iris called, starting to follow.

“Iris,” the King’s voice suddenly called out.

“Hmm? Yes, Your Highness?” she asked, pausing. She really hoped he wouldn’t ask what was wrong with the raven, because she was scared she wouldn’t be able to keep the secret or think of something as a lie.

“I need to speak to you privately for a moment,” the old Mer said, certainly not at all unkindly, but there was no doubt that, whatever he had to say, it had to be big.

“Yes, sir,” she nodded, going over to him.

The King let out a heavy exhalation as he regarded the pink Mer, before he asked her: “You are my son’s friend… would you happen to know what is eating at him so heavily?”

Iris tried to keep her nerves at bay as she said, “I wouldn’t actually know, Your Majesty, I’m sorry…”

“Iris,” Regis said, again, not unkindly, but he was definitely worried, she could tell. “Please, I’m well aware you’ve gone with him when he snuck out before.” When Iris tensed, Regis allowed a small smile. “So… what happened?”

“I… We went out and met with a human he’s friends with,” she admitted, speaking softly, worried about the king’s possible response. When the silence stretched out, she looked at him, immediately attempting to explain. “He’s not a bad human, though, Your Majesty! I promise! Noctis told me he was saved by him after that storm two months ago! Please don’t be mad at him, please…! He really enjoys spending time with him…”

“Yes… he does appear to be more at ease…” Regis murmured softly. After a moment of careful consideration, the King then asked: “You’ve seen this human, haven’t you? What is he like?”

“He’s blonde, and has bright blue eyes. He’s really nice, and even when I met him, he was so kind. He has this rock, Noctis told me, and it has places he’s been to in it, and he showed us the places, and they’re so cool,” Iris told him, relaxing slightly as she told about the prince’s human friend. “His name is Prompto, and Noctis and he have even taught each other how to speak their languages. Apparently, humans don’t speak the same language we do, so it’s a bit tricky, but Noctis is always happy around Prompto.”

“Is he now?” Regis murmured, a small smile on his face.

“Yeah, and Prompto seems really happy with Noctis, from what I saw when I met him,” she murmured. “But I know keeping this all from you is really hurting him, Your Majesty…”

“I can only imagine… he’s never been very good at it,” Regis murmured, shaking his head. “Iris, would you mind fetching my son for me? I believe we need to talk…”

“I’ll try, sir,” she said, before swimming off to Noctis’ room. Biting her lip nervously as she arrived at the room, she knocked on his door, calling out: “Noctis? Your father needs to talk to you.”

However, there was no response from inside the room.

“Noctis? I’m coming in,” the brunette said, and then went into the raven’s room, but was surprised to find it empty, with Noctis nowhere to be found. “Noctis?!” Iris yelled out his window, now _very_ worried.

Sadly, no matter how much she squinted, she couldn’t spot the prince anywhere.

“Dammit,” she hissed, before quickly swimming off to the training halls, since she knew that would be where she’d find Ignis and Gladio. When she got there, she noticed the pair talking. “Ignis! Gladdy! I need your help to find Noctis!”

Startled at the shout, the two Mer looked at her strangely, before worry set in. “Why? What happened, Iris?!” Gladio demanded.

“The King needs to talk to him, but when I went to his room, he wasn’t there! Look, I’ll explain everything later, Gladdy, I promise, but we need to find Noctis,” she pleaded.

Ignis frowned in concern, while Gladio snarled, before nodding and following after the girl.

 

While that was going on, Prompto was on the phone with Cindy, giving her his weekly update. As he spoke with her, his mind kept drifting to Noctis, despite listening to the curly-haired girl.

“ _Hunny, you sound really distracted,_ ” Cindy’s voice said suddenly. “What’s going on?” This drew a sigh from the photographer.

“…Will you promise not to judge me or anything?” Prompto asked.

“ _Prompto, I won’t judge you at all. What’s been going on?_ ”

“I… I’m in love… with a guy…” he confessed. He wasn’t about to dare tell anyone else about Noctis, since Luna already knew, so he decided not to reveal too much.

“ _Well, congrats, Prompto! I’m happy for you!_ ” she told him, a grin evident in her voice. “ _How long have you two been together now?_ ”

“That’s just it, Cindy. We’re not, I haven’t told him, and it’s never gonna work out between us,” he sighed heavily.

“ _Oh, I’m sorry, hun… I didn’t know…_ ” Cindy apologized. “ _Well, why wouldn’t it work out?_ ”

“He’s…not gay, and his family is incredibly homophobic,” the blonde male lied.

“ _That’s still ridiculous. I think you should tell him anyway. You’ll never know for sure if you don’t, right?_ ” she pointed out. “ _Look at things this way: if he doesn’t feel the same, it wasn’t meant to be._ ”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, his voice thick. He felt like crying his eyes out over this whole situation, to be completely honest.

“ _I gotta go, hunny, but you keep your chin up, kay? And try to tell him soon!_ ” Cindy advised, and Prompto nodded, even though she couldn’t see it.

“Thanks, Cindy. I’ll talk to you in a week or so,” he said.

“ _Sounds good. Talk to ya soon, Prompto,_ ” she replied, and then they ended the call.

Prompto put his phone on the bedside table before flopping back onto the hotel bed with an almost mournful noise. There was NO way he could tell Noctis how he really feels about him, or else the raven would end up hurting, too. And besides, they couldn’t be together anyway, unless Noctis became a human or Prompto a Mer. It simply wouldn’t work…

 

Noctis sighed heavily from where he sat at the edge of the Corale. He knew it was stupid and incredibly irresponsible to sneak out of the Citadel, especially with the current situation they were in… but he just needed a moment to think. A moment away from all the hustle at the castle.

And right now, this was as far away as he could get.

Noctis took a breath and exhaled, pushing himself further into the crevice he’d hidden in. He hated hiding like this, but he just wanted to be alone for a while. Thinking of his father, he hoped he wouldn’t be too angry, before his thoughts began to wander.

‘ _Prompto…_ ’

He breathed in deeply and curled up, wrapping his arms around his tail and resting his forehead on the cold scales, as he recalled his dream from the night before. It had been a very vivid dream, one that had left him feeling unnaturally warm. He’d never realized how _cold_ it was underwater until he found himself remembering how _warm_ Prompto had been when he’d hugged him firmly. It was just… so nice…

His dream had started simple enough, and for a while, he’d been sure he’d been awake. For once, they’d met at the beach where they met the first time, and they just talked (or tried to talk) with each other, but then it’d shifted. Maybe he’d mentioned something about home, and he’d been worried about his father (nothing really new given the situation), and suddenly Prompto had come up to him and embraced him in the same way Noct had done twice before already. He wasn’t complaining, certainly, but it was… _so warm_ …

It had changed then, and he wasn’t even sure what had caused the change… but at some point, he’d turned around, possibly to speak (maybe to thank him), and then Prompto had pressed close to him, holding him closer still as their mouths had connected, and he’d frozen up, as he’d lost his balance and they fell back into the water. His arms had instinctively curled around Prompto’s shoulders, as his eyes slipped shut, as his body felt so unbearably hot.

And absently, he’d wondered ‘ _How is Prompto breathing under water…?_ ’ but he’d shook it off… and then he woke up.

Noctis groaned as he bonked his head against his tail. It couldn’t happen. There was no way… no way for them to be… _like that_ …

‘ _Dammit… Iris was right… I got it real bad…_’ he thought sadly. ‘ _I… I wish I could be with him… I don’t care if it’s only for a little while… just… I want to be with him…_ ’

“Kekekeke~”

Noctis almost swam up into the rock at the sudden sound, looking around in alarm. When he saw nothing, he frowned in question, before there was a sudden tap on his shoulder and he yelped as he propelled himself away while turning to the source.

And then he saw a dark, purple tentacle that beckoned him to follow, that same freaky laugh accompanying it. Frowning, Noctis slowly swam over, remaining cautious despite his curiosity. When Noctis looked around the rock, he almost screamed at the sight of the massive octupus that was curled around the rocky cliff just outside of Insomnia. Now he didn’t have a problem with octopi in general, but this one was just _freaky!_ Its entire lower face was lined with large teeth arching up along its head, and its eyes were almost eerily flat, as if someone had squashed them against its skull.

“Kekekek~” it laughed with an eerily distorted voice from beyond the wall keeping intruders out. “Having some troubles in love there, princey boy?”

Noctis glared dangerously at the octopus, before he snarled out: “Who are you?! What are you doing here?! Leave before I call the guards to remove you by force!”

He hated having to rely on his title to get things done, but he was willing to make an exception here. This freak had to _go!_

“Oooh~ scary~” it cackled. “And here I was about to share a secret on how to get yourself a pair of sexy legs~” Noctis’ eyes immediately widened in shock at the words, but the octopus was already turning to leave. “Oh well; bu-bye~”

This was a bad idea… this was a TERRIBLE idea…! And yet he shouted out without thinking twice.

“Wait!!”

“Yeeeeess~?”

 

“Noctis!” Iris called out as she led the way for Gladio and Ignis to find the prince.

While Gladio was curzing as he looked around in a combination of annoyance and worry, Ignis was able to keep his cool as they swam in search of Noctis. Suddenly he spotted something from his peripheral vision and stopped in his spot, whirling around.

“…! Noct!!” he shouted, even though the prince was much too far away, and getting further away still.

"Noctis!" Iris called out to the raven.

"Iris! Get to the Citadel! Warn the King!" Gladio shouted, before he and Ignis rushed off. "We'll get him back!"

"Right!" Iris nodded, and swiftly took off to the Citadel to warn King Regis.

 

Noctis had promised himself he wasn’t going to ask questions, but the further he got from Insomnia, the more he began to worry that he was making a big mistake. He’d swum through the hole in the barrier, just big enough for him to swim through, and was now following after the giant octopus. The area around them was dark, hauntingly so, and he wanted nothing more than to head back…

But one thing kept him going…

‘ _Can I… really have legs…? Can… can I… be with him…?_ ’

“Aaand we’re here~” the octopus suddenly called out, and Noctis blinked, before he looked up.

“…here…?” he asked slowly, regarding the large, ominous and spiked seashell like structure. He wasn’t sure what kind of structure was, but it was definitely not a pleasant looking place.

“Yep~ Go on in, Princey~”

Noctis took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, before he slowly moved forward, through the long hallways, trying not to swim into the very creepy weeds that covered the floor. Was he seeing things or were those faces he saw along their leaves…? He certainly hoped not…

He tried to not pay attention to it, as he swam on, until he reached an entryway to a large, circular room, with a large rocky outcropping with a large hole placed in it at the end of the room, a large gaping maw-like ‘table’ in the center of the room and several long cabinets along the entire walls. It seemed to be empty, so Noctis felt a bit unsure about entering, but he was here already, so…

After taking a large gulp of water, he moved a little further and called out: “Excuse me… I am… looking for Miss Edea…?”

No sooner had he finished the words, or there came a calm, quiet chuckle from the rocky outcropping, and then a long, dark purplish tentacle slipped out from the hole. “Well… you’ve at least more manners than some others who’ve come before,” came a calm, composed voice as its owner slipped out from the hole with great ease.

She was a Weiz; the upper body from the ribs up of a human, the lower body of an octopus, although much of her lower half was as slender as that of either the Mer or even humans. She had short, black hair that was held back with what he assumed to be the rib bones of fish, and she had her eyes half-shut almost continuously, showing the dark black skin of her eyelids and making her eyes seem a much darker purple than they probably were.

“Come,” she said as she curled her fingers. “Come in. Let us talk business, Prince of Lucis.”

Noctis almost hesitated, but, slowly, he moved further into the room, as the woman—Edea, if the octopus from outside was to be believed…—moved along to her table.

“Now… there’ve been rumors, Prince… that you wish to see the world above the surface. Correct?”

He wanted to ask how she even knew that, because he was pretty sure he’d not told anyone (not even Iris), but he shook it off. He’d never really met a Weiz, but they were said to get around and very knowledgeable. They were also known to be extremely treacherous, now that he thought about it, but as long as he was careful, things would be alright… right?

“I suppose there’s no denying that,” Noctis said instead. “I’ve… developed a curiosity for the human world. A foolish thing, maybe… but it’s happened, and there’s little I can do about it.”

Edea hummed in thought as she used a number of trinkets off to the side to adjust her hair, possibly so it wouldn’t get in her way. “So… you desire to leave the water then?”

“Not… permanently,” Noctis corrected. He couldn’t leave forever; his father was old, and he needed Noctis to be there. Without him, Insomnia would surely collapse and crack. Even if he wished to, he couldn’t afford to stay above the water forever. He just couldn’t. “Yes, I am curious about the human world, but I cannot stay there forever.”

“I see… a wise decision for one of your standing,” she said, sounding almost impressed. Suddenly she waved her hand as she turned and the table in the center glowed as colored wisps emerged from them, forming an image that, at first, didn’t make sense to Noctis, until he realized it was a Mer, of which the tail was splitting to turn it into a pair of legs. “But I must warn you; my services are not cheap, and even granting you legs for a short time is not an easy feat. Should you desire to continue this course of action, the price will be most steep indeed.”

‘ _I don’t like the sound of that…_ ’

“…what kind of price do you mean?”

 

“It should be here…” Ignis said as he and Gladio arrived at the large, ominous structure.

“What’s that idiot thinking?” Gladio snarled out, but Ignis could tell that the other Mer was just as worried as the advisor felt at that point. Still, neither said anything else as they hurriedly swam inside, anxious and worried for the prince’s safety.

“…if I cannot provide you with the item you wish for?” they heard just then, catching only the tail end of the conversation.

“Oh, I’m certain you can provide something of greater or equal value in case that happens.”

Panic rising, the two Mer swiftly swam over in an attempt to cut off whatever was happening. However, just as they turned the corner with Noctis’ name on the tip of their tongues, something suddenly out from the darkness, and in the span of a second, their mouths were covered and they were tied up back to back.

“Ah-ah-ah~ None of that, now,” a cold, cheeky voice nearly cooed out. “Let’s not interfere with business, now, shall we?”

Ignis tried to see who was there, but he couldn’t see anything, while Gladio was still struggling to get loose. It would definitely take a while to get out, even with Gladio’s strength, but they had to try, anyway.

 

Noctis almost thought he heard something, but he didn’t have time to look back, as Edea spoke again, drawing his attention once more. “You are, of course, free to say no,” she said as she moved along the ‘table’, and she waved her hand to make the wisps shift around its shape. And when it solidified, Noctis’ eyes widened in shock as he recognized what she had just brought up. “But this does mean you will not be able to speak to him on a more personal level…”

‘ _Prompto…_ ’

He had to resist the urge to reach for the image of the blonde’s face, trying to keep his head together… but he found himself unable to do so…

“…If I cannot provide what you want, then we will work it out when I return… correct?” he asked, trying to be as cautious as he could be, with his head already miles and miles away.

“Of course. I am sure we can work it out fairly simply.”

It was a stupid idea… it was _the_ stupidest idea he’d ever had… but…

“…Alright…”

 

Ignis’ eyes widened as he was now actively trying to help Gladio to break free, while simultaneously trying to scream out for Noctis. But the bindings were holding vast, even though Gladio’s strength was steadily tearing it up. The sandy blonde tried to shout out as the Weiz produced some form of contract that Noctis was supposed to sign to agree to the terms Edea had just stated.

Noctis was hesitating, he could tell, as he read through the contract, as he should… but once he finished reading, his expression steeled itself as he grabbed the pen and after taking a deep breath, he signed it, the words seeming to glow in the darkness of the room.

_Noctis Lucis Caelum_

The moment the prince had finished that, Edea took the contract, with a cold, almost eerie smirk/grin as she giggled. Noctis had no time to respond or question, as a burst of energy suddenly slammed headlong into him and he almost screamed in agony as pain shot up from the tip of his tail to the very center of his stomach, making him want to curl up to try and suppress the pain. The pain didn’t stop, though, and the pain made him cry out as the pain tore through his tail – and then he choked and gargled as his cry was swallowed in the water and his throat and chest began to _hurt!_

Gladio roared as the two other Mer saw what was happening, before he finally managed to break them free. Immediately, without thinking twice, the pair shot toward Noctis, grabbed him by his arms and shot up with him through the open roof of the structure, ignoring the icy cackling haunting them the whole way. Noctis was trying to help by kicking out at the water below him, but it was clear it wasn’t helping as much as he would’ve liked.

And then they broke through the water’s surface and Noctis gasped and coughed and hacked as the air filled his lungs as he coughed up the water that had been there previously, his weight hanging off of Gladio and Ignis’ shoulders.

“What the _crap_ , Noct!?” Gladio demanded of the prince. “What were you thinking?!”

“Gl…Gladio…” Noctis gasped out amongst heavy gulps of air. “I… I’m… I’m so…”

“Don’t,” Ignis interrupted. “What’s done is done.” Gladio obviously didn’t agree, but he didn’t say anything of it. “We need to get you out of the water. Gladio, let’s move.”

“…Right…”

Noctis couldn’t even bring himself to say anything, as he let his friends carry him away along their shoulders.


	9. Those First Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis gets his first experiences among the human world.

By the time the two Mer came to humans’ Corale, Noctis’ body was shuddering heavily, and he was barely holding onto consciousness.

//Hold on for a little longer, Noct,// Ignis murmured softly, and Noctis slowly nodded his head, but he was starting to doze of regardless.

The Corale was large and seemed almost filled to the brim with humans, making it difficult for the two Mer to find a proper spot to get Noctis on land. Eventually, though, they were able to find a small dock that was relatively low to the water’s surface and seemed to be abandoned at the moment. While it was definitely not the best place, it was the easiest to reach for them at the moment, which was most important.

//Noct, c’mon,// Ignis murmured as he and Gladio pulled Noctis up onto the wooden planks. Noctis nodded as he scrabbled up along the planks, despite his obvious fatigue, and he managed to get up with his friends’ help, before he fell forward on his stomach, shivering and shaking from the cold. Ignis cursed quietly, as he looked around. When he spotted an old blanket of some kind, he reached out and tugged it over the shivering prince. //Noct, stay with us…//

//I… tr-trying…// Noctis choked out. //S… so cold… I-Ignis, it’s…//

//Calm down… just stay awake. Stay awake.//

Gladio growled as he watched the prince as he struggled to do as Ignis was telling him, but it clearly wasn’t working. //We need to get him some place safe!// he snarled out.

//Well aware…// Suddenly, the sandy-blonde’s head shot up and his eyes widened. //Someone’s coming…! Get down!//

The two Mer didn’t waste a moment and ducked under the water.

 

As the sun settled high above in the sky, half hidden behind the softly billowing clouds, Ravus Nox Fleuret sighed heavily as he walked along the streets of Altissia. While he didn’t normally walk around aimlessly, he’d really just needed some fresh air for a moment. He, admittedly, had been getting tired of remaining in the hotel most of the day, and also needed a small break from Umbra and Pryna. He didn’t have a set destination in mind, but he ended up walking along the gondola docks.

As he got closer to one of the currently empty docks, though, he spotted something… out of place. And it took him a moment to realize, but as he walked closer, he soon realized there was someone lying out on the dock, seemingly passed out.

“Ah…!” the pale blonde gasped, and hurried over to the person, realizing it was a young man, covered in an old blanket that had been used to protect a gondola from the rain. The man smelled like the sea, so Ravus figured him to have been ship-wrecked, and a brief touch to his forehead told him that he was freezing, as well. Because of this, Ravus didn’t remove the blanket just yet, as he had a feeling the man wasn’t exactly well-dressed (plus he hoped it would help warm him up a bit on the way). Ravus carefully picked up the youth, and then took off to the hotel, knowing he needed Luna’s help for this one.

The man in his arms grunted a little at the sudden motion, but he didn’t wake just yet.

But as Ravus hurried off, he never noticed two pair of eyes following him quietly.

 

Once back at the hotel, Ravus hurried up to his and Luna’s room, where he surprised his sister by the young man’s presence. “Lunafreya, he needs some help,” he said urgently, setting the raven-haired young man on his bed, not caring if he was getting the blankets soaked because of the water still clinging to the man.

“What are you…! Ravus, what happened?” Luna asked as she hurried to the younger man’s side, blinking at the pale face topped with messy black hair. If she hadn’t just seen her brother carrying him in and seen the pale legs dangling along Ravus’ arms, she could’ve sworn it was Noctis. But that was just ridiculous… after all, Noctis was a Mer, so there was no way this could be him.

“I found him at the gondola docks, completely unconscious,” Ravus explained, standing back. “But he’s cold. Freezing even. He needs to be warmed up.”

“Right… can I borrow some of your spare clothes, Ravus? It might be a bit big on him, but it’s better than nothing…”

“That’s fine,” her brother nodded, and went to the closet, pulling out a set of fresh clothes for the raven that he likely wasn’t going to be wearing anyway.

Luna, in the meantime, grabbed a towel from the bathroom and started working on drying the brunette off. He was shivering and definitely in bad shape; hell, his lips were still slightly blue from being undercooled. Once he was dry, which took about five minutes, she tucked him gently under the blankets temporarily to warm up.

Just as she finished doing so, there was then a knock on the door, and Ravus went to answer it, since his sister was beginning to struggle with his old clothes. He was a little surprised when Prompto was at the door, appearing concerned, until he remembered Lunafreya mentioning she’d been planning to go out with the blonde photographer.

“Hi Ravus. Is Luna here?” the blonde asked.

“Yes. She’s tending to someone, though,” Ravus informed him.

“What?” Prompto frowned in question, walking in when Ravus stepped aside for him. And when he stepped into the room properly, he stared in surprise. “Luna, what happened?” he asked, seeing a raven-haired male on one of the beds that was shivering under the blankets. The moment he saw him he couldn’t help but think that this guy looked like Noctis, but that wouldn’t be right. After all, the Mer wouldn’t survive for long out of the water like this… He would’ve been coughing and hacking and struggling to breathe… let alone neither Luna or Ravus would’ve gotten him into the room.

Luna looked up at Prompto walked in and she frowned apologetically. “Hey, Prom… sorry, we may need to reschedule our trip. Ravus just brought this young man in.” She gestured to the man as she unfolded the clothes she’d been handed. “We need to get him warmed up before he dies of hypothermia.”

“Yeah, no problem. Is there any way I can help?” he asked, looking at the young man worriedly.

“Well if you want to, can you help me get these clothes on him?” Luna asked as she passed Prompto the trousers.

“Yeah,” the blonde nodded, and gently got the raven-haired man dressed in the clothes, which would hopefully warm him up.

Once they’d gotten the raven into the clothes and he was once again tucked in, there was an almost pitiful whining from the bathroom door, accompanied by light scratching. Frowning, Prompto went over to the bathroom, and cracked open the door, surprised to see Umbra in there.

“Hey boy, what’s wrong?” he asked, letting the dog out.

Luna sighed as Umbra happily greeted Prompto. “He was causing some problems for the hotel’s employees, so I had him on timeout for a moment…”

“Ah, okay. Sorry I took him out…” Prompto apologized.

“It’s fine. I think he’s learned…”

Just as Luna said that, though, Umbra’s nose twitched and he whined curiously. After a few sniffs at the air, though, he suddenly barked happily and dashed for the bed where the raven-haired youth was lying.

“ _Umbra!!_ ”

“H-hey!” Prompto yelped, hurrying over. He then paused, however, when he saw what Umbra was doing.

The black dog had jumped onto the bed with his front paws and was now in the process of licking the man’s face, who actually groaned and squeezed his eyes shut firmly. After a moment of Umbra barking and licking, however, one dark blue eye slipped open and regarded the dog wearily.

And then…

“…Um…bra…?”

Immediately, Prompto’s eyes widened in shock, and he gasped. “Noctis?!”

At the sudden cry, Ravus looked at the blonde, puzzled. “You know him?”

“It’s a long story, and I’ll explain later, but not right now,” Prompto said firmly, before moving closer to the raven. “Noctis, what…?”

Luna was staring in shock as much as Prompto was as, upon the call, the raven looked up slowly blinking both eyes open, before he managed to get words out again. “Prom…pto…” he got out… right before he suddenly hacked and coughed, reaching for his throat.

“Hang on, lemme get you some water,” Prompto murmured, going and grabbing a glass from the little kitchenette and filling it with water. He then brought it over to Noctis, helping him to sit up a bit so he could drink. Once Prompto pressed the glass to his lips, he said gently: “Here.”

Noctis gasped and wheezed, as his fingers moved to clumsily grasp the glass and tilted it backward with a deep breath – which resulted in him coughing even harder as he instinctively got the water out of his lungs as fast as it’d come in.

“H-hey, you’re supposed to swallow it, not inhale it!” Prompto yelped, rubbing Noctis’s back soothingly.

Noctis continued to cough harshly, taking big, heavy gulps of air. He didn’t understand what Prompto was saying, but trying to breathe in water seemed like a _terrible_ idea, despite how his brain was telling him he had to. The air was heavy in his lungs, and it felt so strange to not feel the filtration of water through his throat that he almost whimpered as he tried to move his tai—

And suddenly he froze, eyes wide as he looked down at the blanket covering his lower body.

“Noctis, hang on. You need to drink it, not inhale it. You’re human now,” Prompto murmured, his brows furrowed in his own confusion. It seemed as though the raven just realized he had legs instead of a tail now.

And because of that, Noctis didn’t seem to be paying attention, as he reached down and abruptly pulled the blankets off of himself, after which he proceeded to stare at his legs – _legs_ , not a tail – and tried to move them slowly. It was a little weird; he was so used to only one limb, and for it to split into two was almost awkward… but not at all bad.

Curious, he leaned forward as he curled one legs towards himself, running his fingers experimentally along it. Even through the material that covered it, he could feel the pale skin under it, and when he pressed down on the very bottom of his foot, it felt really weird. It was also exceedingly odd to see the tips of his feet being able to curl like he was making them do now.

“What in the world is going on?” Ravus finally demanded, his expression reflecting his complete confusion.

At first, Prompto wasn’t sure if he should say anything about it, but he supposed that Luna’s brother had every right to know. Especially since he’d helped in getting Noctis here. “Like I said, long story, but Noctis here is a Mer, but he’s somehow human now…” Prompto told him, making Ravus blink in surprise.

He looked at Luna incredulously, who hadn’t said a word since the raven had regained consciousness. “Is this true, Lunafreya? I saw how you were looking at him when he said Umbra’s name,” he asked.

“Y-yes, it’s true,” Luna admitted with a nod, as confused as the other humans there. “I’ve only met him once, but he was definitely a Mer last I saw him.”

If Noctis was aware of the conversation, he certainly didn’t show it, as he was a little too focused on trying to move his legs and feet properly.

“Noctis… How did you become human?” Prompto asked, resting his hand on the raven’s leg to gain his attention.

Noctis blinked up at Prompto, tilting his head to the side. //…I only caught the “human” part of that, Prompto…//

As he spoke, Ravus frowned, confused. “Does he not speak our language?”

“No,” Prompto replied, before turning back to Noctis. He then gestured to Noctis’s legs, and gave him a confused look, silently asking him how.

That helped and Noctis’ expression became one of understanding… before just as quickly shifting to confusion as he looked down. How was he supposed to tell him? At least, how could he tell Prompto in a way that he could understand what Noctis had done? And the price he would eventually have to pay for his trip to the surface…

However he tried, he couldn’t figure out what to say or how.

Slowly, he shook his head, hands clenching in the fabric of the trousers covering his legs.

“It’s okay,” Prompto murmured with a small smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Noctis merely nodded, understanding the last part (mostly), before he coughed again and he growled a little.

“Here,” the blonde soothed, and gave Noctis the glass again. “Swallow, don’t inhale.”

Noctis looked up at Prompto briefly, not sure what he was supposed to do, before he sighed and let some of the water fill his mouth. Once he had it there, though, he wasn’t sure what to do… until his body seemed to respond instinctively and he gulped the water down, instantly soothing his aching throat. Which, of course, had Noctis blinking in surprise as he put a hand to his throat.

“Better, huh?” Prompto chuckled.

Noctis nodded slowly, still a bit confused, before Umbra suddenly barked and demanded the raven’s attention. Which he didn’t mind giving as he allowed a small smile and began to pet the dog’s head gently.

“He recognized you, ya know,” Prompto smiled, finally sitting on the bed with Noctis. He was incredibly happy to see Noctis like this, as a human, and he wanted to make sure he could take advantage of being with the raven as much as he could now. After all, he was in love with Noctis, and he wanted to somehow get the raven to understand that at some point.

Noctis, meanwhile, looked at Prompto oddly, his head tilted even as he continued to pet Umbra, until the dog hurried over to Luna’s side again.

Luna, of course, caught on to that and turned to her brother, whispering quietly that they should leave for a little bit. Ravus nodded, and looked at his sister as though he expected her to explain while they were gone.

Once they were gone with both Umbra and Pryna, Prompto continued his earlier train of thought. “Umbra knew it was you. I didn’t think it was you when I came in, since you’re human now,” he admitted, knowing Noctis wouldn’t understand, but he tried anyway.

“…human…” Noctis murmured softly, glancing back down to his legs and pulling one up slowly.

“Do you like having legs?” the blonde asked.

Noctis didn’t reply to that, though he did lean back on his hands and lift up one leg curiously.

Prompto chuckled at the raven’s curiosity. “Want to try walking?” he offered.

Of course, Noctis only looked at him strangely, not understanding what he was saying.

The blonde smiled, before standing up. He gave the raven a questioning look as he walked around the room a bit, hoping to get his point across. And after watching him do that for a moment, Noctis finally seemed to understand and (carefully) scooted to the edge of the bed and let his legs slide off the edge of the mattress. For about a minute, he hesitated, before he pushed himself up – and immediately stumbled forward with a cry.

“Careful!” Prompto gasped, darting forward and catching him. “You need practice, that’s all.”

Noctis breathed heavily for a moment, clinging to Prompto’s arms, his legs shuddering below him as he tried to stay standing. Which was not as easy as Prompto had made it seem.

“Easy,” the blonde murmured, carefully helping the raven to straighten up. “Take it easy, Noctis. It’s gonna take some practice.”

Once he had his legs firmly planted under him, Noctis shifted his hands to cling to Prompto’s shoulders, a slight hiss escaping him. //He…heavy…//

“I know, you’re heavier out of the water,” Prompto soothed. “We’re gonna take it slow, okay? Baby steps.”

Once his legs could stop shaking, Noctis exhaled softly in relief and he tried to stand up straighter (still holding onto Prompto).

“There we go,” Prompto praised. “Just hold on to me, and I’ll help.”

Noctis looked up at Prompto in obvious question from under his messy bangs.

Prompto patted Noctis’s hands on his shoulders, and said: “Hang on to me.” He then decided to see about them starting to move. He began to carefully guide Noctis into taking a step, sticking close to his friend.

The Mer-turned-human gasped as he stumbled after, almost falling right up against Prompto again. Thankfully, he managed to keep himself standing, but only barely.

“It’s okay, you’re doing good,” Prompto murmured, managing to keep them both standing. “It’s okay.”

Noctis adjusted his stance carefully, before he cautiously lifted a foot, which he quickly set down when all his weight was suddenly balanced on a single leg.

“There you go,” Prompto smiled. “You’re doing really good.”

While the Mer didn’t understand what was being said, he didn’t ask about it and instead focused on trying to walk along with Prompto. It was weird to constantly feel the floor along the bottom of his feet, but he found himself getting used to it fairly quickly.

“Good job, Noctis,” the blonde grinned, seeing how his friend was adjusting quickly enough.

Noctis briefly looked up, opening his mouth to say something – only to let out a yowl as he tripped over his own feet and fell forward.

“Shit!” Prompto cursed, falling back as Noctis fell on top of him.

Both of them grunted as they hit the floor with a heavy thud. //Ow…// Noctis groaned painfully as he tried to push up, only to freeze in alarm as their position dawned on him entirely.

“You okay?” Prompto asked, wincing from where his head hit the floor.

“…”

Noctis didn’t respond, even though he obviously knew what was being asked of him.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked, surprised when the raven didn’t answer.

“…”

“Noctis…?”

Startled, Noctis suddenly bolted up and scrambled away from Prompto, swiftly curling up into a ball and wrapping arms tight around his legs, hiding his face in his knees.

“Hey, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare ya!” Prompto apologized, getting to his knees and slowly approaching the raven.

Noctis didn’t speak up; he didn’t even look up as Prompto approached.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked softly, and once he got close, he tried to tilt Noctis’ chin up so he could look at his face.

But Noctis shook his hand off and curled up even tighter, his body shuddering subtly.

“Noctis, it’s okay, whatever’s wrong…” the blonde soothed, moving to sit beside him.

Noctis shook his head swiftly, still not looking up.

“Please tell me what’s wrong so I can help,” Prompto pleaded softly, wrapping a comforting arm around the raven’s shoulders.

The touch around his shoulders actually made Noctis tense sharply, and his fingers curled into the material of his trousers. The reaction was almost instinctive, and Noctis was struggling to not start gasping for breath; he couldn’t understand why he felt so warm, or why his body seemed to be almost hypersensitive to any and all touches, even through the material clinging to his frame.

But most importantly of all, he didn’t understand the reaction from his lower body _at all_ …

“Do you…want me to leave you alone?” Prompto asked quietly, retracting his arm when he felt the tension.

At the quiet words, Noctis finally raised his head slightly, peeking out from over his knees cautiously.

“I’ll… I’ll just leave for a bit…” the smaller male mumbled, starting to get up.

However, before Prompto could stand completely, Noctis grabbed hold of his wrist.

“Huh?” Prompto uttered, looking at his friend curiously. His heart hurt at the thought of leaving Noctis of his own accord, even briefly, so the thought that Noctis _does_ want him around still had him hopeful.

//…w…warm…// Noctis choked out softly.

“I don’t understand,” Prompto sighed, but sat back down next to Noctis anyway.

Noctis opened his mouth to speak, but it took him a few tries before he was able to get anything out. //It’s… warm… I… I don’t…// he got out, his hand curled around Prompto’s wrist, still.

“You’re really warm, huh?” the blonde realized, noticing the raven was starting to sweat.

Noctis didn’t respond, but if the sweat pouring down his forehead and the sweaty palms was anything to go by, then Prompto was most likely spot on.

“It’s okay, Noctis,” Promtpo soothed. “Come on, Let’s get you cooled down, okay?”

The raven slowly looked up a little more, clearly not understanding what was being said, though the tone seemed to make him feel somewhat better.

“Come on,” the smaller male smiled, lightly tugging Noctis up when he spotted a fan by Luna’s bed on top of the dresser.

Clearly confused, Noctis stumbled after, watching his feet carefully as he did.

“There we go,” Prompto told him, and gently sat him on Luna’s bed once they were close. Once the raven was seated, Prompto moved over and turned her fan on low, so as not to freeze Noctis with the sweat he had on his body.

When the wind hit him, Noctis visibly jumped, staring at the machine with wide eyes before he tried to reach for the fan.

“It’s okay, it’s called a ‘fan’,” the smaller male chuckled, sitting beside him again.

“F…fan…?” Noctis repeated slowly, looking at Prompto curiously.

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, still smiling. “It helps to cool people down.”

Noctis tilted his head curiously, before he turned to the fan, moving his hand and obviously interested in the wind as it played along his hand and face.

And Prompto merely watched him, amused by Noctis’s curiosity. “A bit better, huh?” he asked after a few minutes, noticing the sweat wasn’t forming on his forehead anymore.

“…y…yeah…”

“Good,” the blonde smiled, before leaning against Noctis a little. “I’m glad you’re okay. If Ravus hadn’t found you… You could have died…and I wouldn’t have known…” At this, Prompto lowered his gaze sadly, unable to keep the dark thoughts from his mind.

Blinking at the sudden somber tone, Noctis turned to look at Prompto. He wasn’t used to that tone of voice from the blonde, and it didn’t sound right. So, he moved back slightly and moved around on his knees to settled behind Prompto and wrapped his arms around the blonde’s shoulders, resting his forehead between his shoulders once again.

Prompto gave a weak smile, leaning into the comforting hold. //Thank you,// he whispered. “I missed you.”

Noctis frowned. Prompto’d said those words before, but he couldn’t figure out what they meant. The last word, though, he did catch the meaning of. “…missed…me…?”

“Yeah,” the blonde murmured. “I don’t like when we’re apart…”

The raven moved his head over to rest it on the blonde’s shoulder, clearly curious.

This drew a soft chuckle from Prompto, before he looked at Noctis and said softly, “I’ll be honest, I…I want us to be more than friends…I want to be with you… Even though you probably don’t get what I’m saying right now, I hope you feel something similar.”

//…I didn’t understand any of that…// Noctis admitted.

Prompto knew Noctis was probably saying something like he didn’t understand, which the blonde knew couldn’t be helped right now. He just hoped Noctis would be able to understand with time. With a sigh, he simply remained in the raven’s hold, hoping for the best between them.

 

As Ravus and Luna walked along Altissia, Ravus finally said, “So, explain to me what you know about Noctis.”

“From what I was told, Prompto’s apparently saved Noctis while he was washed up on shore,” Luna explained quietly, keeping her voice down in case someone was listening. “And then, after Noctis returned the favor a little later, they’ve been meeting up regularly, it seems…”

“Interesting,” Ravus hummed. “They seem rather close, too.”

“They are…” Luna admitted with a nod, before she giggled. “In fact, I believe they’re both quite smitten with each other.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Ravus chuckled. “Besides, they seem good for each other.”

Luna smiled softly, before she frowned in worry.

“What’s wrong, Lunafreya?” her brother asked, concerned.

“I’m just… Noctis was a Mer last time… of that I’m sure… so why is human, now?”

“That…I’m not sure of. We can at least be supportive and help where we can, as I highly doubt this is permanent. If Noctis was born a Mer, he will more than likely have to /back/ to being a Mer at some point, I would think,” Ravus murmured. “But let them enjoy the time they have, however temporary it may be.”

“Right… Let’s help them however we can.”


	10. Material Possessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can't spend time in a world without at least SOME possessions.

After some time of practicing Noctis’ walking in the hotel room, Prompto looked at his friend’s attire, which was way too big on him and made him look a lot smaller than he really was.

“We’ll need to get you some clothes of your own,” he commented. “Can’t have you wearing Ravus’ stuff the whole time.”

Noctis cocked his head curiously at the words, before he looked down at the pants and shirt hanging off of his hips and shoulders.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you with getting some stuff that fits you better,” he blonde chuckled. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll feel better in proper-fitting clothes.”

“…?” Naturally, Noctis didn’t understand what Prompto was saying, as was obvious by the look on his face.

“It’s okay,” Prompto said, waving a hand dismissively. “Come on, let’s head back to my room and get you a pair of shoes or something so we can go out. I don’t think Ravus’ shoes will fit well…” Once he finished speaking, he stood, offering the raven a hand.

Noctis looked to the hand in question, before he reached out and took hold of the blonde’s hand.

Prompto then led Noctis out of Luna and Ravus’ hotel room back to his own, where he opened the door and brought Noctis inside. “You’ll stay with me while here. It’ll be easier that way,” Prompto told his friend. “Hope you don’t mind sharing the bed…”

As they walked into the room, Noctis looked around curiously, before he started walking around the room to explore. And Prompto merely watched him in amusement, leaning against the wall as he followed the raven’s movements with his bright blue gaze.

Suddenly, Noctis spotted something on the bedside table and he walked over, where he picked up Prompto’s camera (carefully).

“Remember my camera, huh?” Prompto asked, going over to him. “I’ve taken some more pictures since I last saw you.”

Noctis blinked as he looked over to Prompto. “…cam…era…?”

“That’s what it’s called,” the blonde smiled.

The raven tilted his head, before he turned to the camera and turned it around a few times, trying to see how it worked, because he couldn’t see anything on the screen.

“Here,” Prompto murmured, and gently took the camera from Noctis’ hands. He then showed him the power button, and pressed it, turning on the camera.

Noctis’ eyes widened in awe as he watched its screen flash to life, stepping up next to Prompto to look at the camera again. The smaller male smiled at Noctis as he pulled up some of the recent pictures he’d taken, and sat on his bed, gesturing for the raven to sit with him. And the raven did just that, moving over and letting himself drop next to Prompto on the bed – though he yelped as the mattress dipped under his weight.

“You okay?” Prompto asked with a small chuckle.

“Y-yeah…” Noctis got out as he sat up a little better.

“Okay, now you get to see my recent pictures,” Prompto said happily, pressing close to the raven as he pulled up the first part of the pictures.

Noctis immediately scooted closer to look over Prompto’s shoulder at the pictures, clearly curious. The blonde then showed him some pictures he’d taken in Lestallum when he was last there. As he scrolled through the pictures slowly enough for Noctis to take them in properly, the ex-Mer suddenly frowned and the  pointed at the current picture, which showed the Disc of Cauthess from the outlook at sunset.

“It’s called the Disc of Cauthess,” Prompto explained. “It’s a good one, huh?”

“Di…Disc o…of Ca…Cau…” Noctis frowned as he tried to pronounce it properly, and found himself failing.

“Disc. Of. Cauthess,” Prompto said slowly, kindly helping his friend.

“Disc… of… C-Cauthess…”

“There ya go,” the blonde smiled in praise. He then looked back at the picture. “Do you like this one?”

Noctis nodded his head to the question. However, as he reached out to move to the next picture, his shirt slipped down from his shoulder.

Prompto laughed softly as he moved the camera out of Noct’s reach. “We’ll check out the rest later, Noctis. For now, we gotta get you some clothes.”

“…?” Noctis looked at Prompto strangely as he stood up and set the camera on the bedside table again, before he looked up to Prompto questionably.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” the blonde assured him, going to his closet and looking for a pair of shoes. He soon found a pair that was even a bit large for him, and returned to the raven. “Here we go,” he murmured, and gently took Noctis’ feet, one by one, and slipped the shoes on each foot. “There. Now we can go out and get you some clothes.”

The raven looked at his feet curiously, moving them a few times before clicking the toes of the shoes together with a cocked eyebrow.

“They’ll protect your feet from the ground,” Prompto explained.

Naturally, the Mer-turned-human merely looked up at Prompto curiously.

“No worries, you’ll get it with time,” the smaller male assured him. Holding out a hand, he said, “Come on, let’s go.”

After looking at the hand for a moment more, Noctis eventually reached out and took the blonde’s hand.

Prompto then tugged the raven to his feet, and led his friend out of the hotel to the nearest clothing store he liked.

 

As they walked, Noctis looked around almost continuously, watching the other humans walking around curiously. No one even looked at them, even though Prompto was still holding onto his hand.

Noctis blinked as he looked over, before nodding his head.

This drew a small smile to Prompto’s face, and soon after, they arrived. “Come on,” he murmured to the raven. “Here we are. Now we’ll get you some proper fitting clothes.”

When they stepped in. Noctis’ mouth actually opened in awe as he saw all the racks lined with different types of clothes.

“Do you like it?” Prompto asked with a chuckle.

Noctis didn’t even respond as he continued looking around.

“Let’s find you some clothes,” the smaller male smiled, leading Noctis further into the shop.

The raven stumbled after, a bit startled, before he managed to catch up.

“Here we go! These should be your size, but you’ll have to try them on to be sure,” Prompto told Noctis once they got to a particular section.

“…?” Noctis obviously wasn’t sure what had just been said.

“It’s okay. I’ll choose some stuff, and you tell me yes or no,” Prompto assured Noctis. Naturally, the raven didn’t respond to the words. This made the blonde chuckled, as he then put together a couple outfits before showing Noctis one of them. “Like it?” he asked.

The Mer looked at the clothes for a moment, before he looked up again, confused.

“Here, let me show you,” Prompto chuckled again, and guided Noctis into the changing room. He then looked at the raven questioningly when he began to reach for the hem of the pants, silently asking if he could take them off. While Noctis didn’t say anything to him reaching for the pants, he certainly didn’t look away from Prompto at all.

Prompto waited for a moment for the raven to protest once he grabbed the pants, but when he didn’t hear anything, he gently pulled them down, and then grabbed the pair of black pants from their hanger. “Here, let’s get these on instead,” he murmured, helping Noctis out of the pants and shoes so he could get on the black pants.

When he said that, Noctis tilted his head to the side, not sure what he was saying, but he moved his legs into the pants when Prompto urged him to.

Once Noctis’ legs were in the pants, Prompto pulled them up, and then zipped and buttoned them once they were on. “Better?” he asked.

“…??” Noctis tilted his head as he reached for the edge of the pants and tugged on it experimentally, trying to tug it off.

“Looks like a good fit to me,” Prompto smiled with a soft laugh.

“…good… fit…?”

“Yeah, so it fits appropriately without being too tight or too loose,” the blonde explained.

//…I don’t understand.//

“It’s okay,” Prompto murmured. “Now, let’s get the shirt.” He then grabbed the steel gray shirt from its hanger, and removed Noctis’ current shirt. Prompto gently guided Noctis into the shirt, trying desperately to ignore the slight abs the raven had. Sure, he’d seen him shirtless as a Mer, but while human, this made it different.

When the shirt finally passed over his head, Noctis blinked, before he shook his head to get his bangs out of his eyes, and then looked down at himself curiously.

“Much better,” Prompto smiled softly.

“…bet…ter…?” Noctis repeated slowly.

“Yup,” the smaller male nodded. He then grabbed the black jacket, and helped Noctis into it before looking him over. “One last thing.” Finally, Prompto grabbed the pair of black boots he’d found in the shop, and helped Noctis into those. Once the raven was fully dressed, he looked Noctis over and grinned. “You look good.”

Noctis looked himself over in slight confusion. He really couldn’t understand the humans’ obsession with putting these ‘nets’ over themselves, but he supposed it wasn’t “uncomfortable”. As he looked down to the heavy material weighing down his feet, he tapped them against the floor, listening to the almost satisfying sound of it hitting the floor.

“Damn, I’m good,” Prompto laughed lightly. “We’ll pick up a few more things, and then head back.”

And of course, Noctis only looked at him oddly.

Prompto merely gave Noctis a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.” And with that said, the blonde left the changing room, gathering up some additional things for Noctis. Some sleeping clothes, boxer briefs, socks, and some extra shirts and pants for him. Once finished, Prompto returned to the changing room. “Noctis, I’m done. Let’s go,” he told him.

At the call, Noctis looked up from where he was looking in the mirror and suddenly frowned, as if displeased.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked, concerned.

“Noct.”

“Huh?”

Noctis pointed to Prompto, then to himself and back again. //Friends.// Then he pushed his finger against his own chest as he said: //Noct. Friends say ‘Noct’.//

“Ah, you want me to call you Noct since we’re friends, right?” Prompto guessed with a small smile. “I can do that. C’mon, Noct. Let’s go.”

Noctis smiled at the words, before he followed Prompto out of the changing room. As he walked, though, a thought seemed to come to him and he hummed.

“What’s up?” the blonde asked, hearing the hum.

“…Prompto.”

“Hmm?” Prompto hummed, pausing and turning to the raven.

“Prompto… Promp… Prompt…” Noctis paused with a slight groan, scratching at the side of his neck before he said/asked: “Prom…?”

“You can call me Prom,” Prompto nodded with a smile. “I like it. Not everyone calls me that. Just my friends.”

Of course, Noctis didn’t understand that very well, but given the smile on the blonde’s face, he assumed his last bet was fine. For which he was glad. And this definitely showed as a small, content smile played over his face, his eyelids slipping a little over his eyes when he did.

“You like calling me Prom, huh?” the blonde asked with a grin. “You’re one of few who has.”

Noct tilted his head curiously, but he said nothing more as he hurried after Prom… only to grab hold of his hand. And Prompto looked down at their joined hands, glad he had been able to manage everything he was going to get in one arm now, and then smiled, pleased, at the raven.

And Noct merely smiled back as he followed after.

They soon got to the counter, and Prompto, unfortunately, had to remove his hand from Noctis’ so he could get out his wallet to pay for everything. He then looked at the cashier and said: “Sorry, his other clothes were a bit big. Can he just wear these out once you scan ‘em?”

“Of course,” the cashier nodded, and went over to Noctis with her scanner.

“It’s okay,” Prompto whispered to his friend, hoping to keep him from being too suspicious or anything.

Noct regarded the cashier in question, but he didn’t say anything.

Soon enough, the girl had scanned the price tags on Noctis’ clothes before removing them, and then scanned each item Prompto had in his arm. Once she told him the total, the blonde mentally winced, knowing he’d have to REALLY make up for it somehow…but he handed her the gil anyway. And after everything was bagged, Prompto thanked her, before turning back to Noctis. “Let’s head back, Noct,” he smiled, taking the raven’s hand in his again before heading back to the hotel.

As they walked, Noctis looked at Prompto curiously, before he squeezed his hand. “Prom… you… okay…?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” the blonde assured him. “My wallet hurts, but it’ll live.” At this, he laughed.

“…??”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine,” Prompto chuckled.

Just as Noctis looked at him oddly, seemingly prepared to say something, a familiar bark came out, right before Umbra suddenly came running over and hopped up against Noctis.

“A-ah!” Noct blinked, before he smiled and reached down to pet Umbra’s head, making the dog pant happily.

“Oh there you are!”

“Hey guys!” Prompto greeted. “Sorry we left like that, I wanted to get Noct set up with some proper-fitting clothes.”

“Yes, we can see that,” Luna giggled as she regarded Noctis briefly. “You look good, Noctis.”

Noctis merely regarded her for a moment… before his gaze shifted to Ravus, as if he had just really noticed him.

“Don’t worry, Noct. That’s Ravus, Luna’s older brother,” Prompto soothed, before looking at the pale blonde. “Thank you for finding him, Ravus. I’m glad no one else did.”

“I’m glad that he was found in general,” Ravus pointed out.

“…” Noctis didn’t say anything, though he did tilt his head quietly.

“We were just heading back to the hotel. I take it you two were as well?” Prompto asked.

“Yes, it’s getting late, and the sun is starting to set so we figured it was about time,” Luna said as she nodded to the horizon.

When Noctis looked over to see what was so interesting, he tensed when he saw the sun dipping below the horizon, his fingers clenching around Prompto’s almost painfully.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked, noticing the tightening grip on his hand as he looked at Noctis.

“……”

“Noctis?” Luna called worriedly, but the ex-Mer didn’t look up from where he was looking.

“Noct, what’s wrong?” Prompto asked, looking at him in concern.

Noctis looked over at the call, but he didn’t answer, as he looked down to the ground… or more specifically, his own feet. And that was when Prompto realized what had to be wrong.

“You have a time limit before you have to go back, don’t you?” Prompto guessed softly, his gaze saddening.

“……”

“Noct…” the blonde murmured, not understanding the lack of response.

When Noctis still refused to respond, Luna frowned sadly. “Maybe we should go back to the hotel…” she offered, as Umbra whined unhappily as he pawed at Noct’s leg.

“Yeah…” Prompto sighed, and Ravus led them back to the hotel as Prompto’s gaze became miserable. He had an inkling that this wasn’t permanent, but he couldn’t help but be hopeful since he hadn’t gotten an actual confirmation on the matter yet. All he’d wanted was to be with Noctis like this, but now that he knew there was (likely) a time limit… he wanted to make the most of it.

Noctis remained silent as he followed after, not looking up at Prompto or anyone else as they went. However, the closer they got to the hotel, the more firmly he curled his fingers around Prompto’s.

Finally, they got to Luna and Ravus’ room, where the group parted ways, Prompto softly bidding the siblings goodnight before guiding Noctis to his room. Once the door was shut behind them, the blonde felt extremely torn. He wanted to hide from everything and cry, but knew he needed to be there for the raven. When he turned to look at him, the other was still looking down at the ground.

“Noct… What’s wrong? Please tell me,” he finally pleaded quietly to the former Mer.

Noctis looked up at Prompto quietly, giving a slow blink, before he slowly shook his head. //I don’t… understand…// he got out, but his voice sounded… strained.

“Noct…” the smaller male whispered, feeling tears start to form. He hated this language barrier, and wished for nothing more than for them to understand each other right now. Despite trying to communicate through it, Prompto couldn’t help but hate it.

When he saw the tears, Noctis blinked in a combination of surprise and shock, before he stepped up and, without thinking, put his hands against the blonde’s cheeks, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears.

Prompto gave a small, humorless laugh, placing his hands over Noctis’. “I just want to help…” he mumbled.

Noct tilted his head in question, as he tried to understand what Prom was saying… but it was just so hard…

Prompto sighed, his gaze becoming downcast. He wished they could understand each other better…

“Prom…?” Noctis spoke quietly, sounding unsure and almost as down as the blonde did.

Suddenly, Prompto dropped the shopping bags and reached forward, hugging Noctis firmly as the tears flowed freely. He just wanted to be with Noctis, but he _knew_ he wouldn’t be able to tell him how he loves him more than anyone or anything, not without confusing the hell out of the taller male. He almost felt like he was mourning a relationship that hadn’t even occurred, which hurt so badly.

“…!!” And Noct, in response, froze up, eyes wide in alarm as he was hugged. He didn’t hug back, but he wasn’t pushing him away either. However, his breathing did pick up.

Prompto whimpered when the hug wasn’t returned, about to pull away. At the sound, Noctis blinked, confused, before he slowly reached up and tugged a little on Prompto’s arms. This made the blonde look up at the raven, tears flowing freely from his eyes still.

Noctis looked like he wanted to say something when he saw the look, but in the end he decided better of it and grabbed Prompto by his shoulders. Before the blonde could ask, though, he was suddenly spun around so his back was facing Noct, and then the raven pressed up against his back, arms around his chest as his forehead pressed between his shoulders.

Prompto leaned slightly into the comforting embrace, grateful Noctis was trying to comfort him. He exhaled shakily, trying to calm down, but only managed to when he focused on Noctis’ warmth pressed against his back. Just as he did, though, a peculiar but somewhat familiar sound entered his ears. It took him a moment to realize what it was, though, and he soon traced it to Noct singing softly against his back.

Prompto relaxed in the raven’s hold at the soothing melody, almost to the point where he felt his legs beginning to give out. And as the song continued, that was exactly what happened and Noct, not expecting it, yelped as he was effectively dragged down with the blonde.

“S-sorry…!” Prompto apologized quickly, getting onto his hands and knees as he moved to give the taller male a little space.

Noct groaned as he sat up, before he looked at Prompto’s legs in question, before he scooted over and poked at them, which made Prompto smile a bit. Maybe he thought they hurt?

“Got a bit too relaxed, that’s all,” the blonde explained.

“…?” Noctis, naturally, didn’t understand the words, though he did move closer and curled his fingers along his right thigh and began to firmly press and rub at the muscle, in a firm yet gentle massage.

Prompto chuckled at the gesture, but knew it couldn’t go on for long, otherwise he’d probably get hard. And God forbid how he would explain THAT…

“Come on, let’s get to bed. I’ll bet you’re tired, right?” Prompto murmured, pulling away so he could stand again.

Noctis looked at Prompto curiously, about to say something… when his stomach gave a _painful_ clench and he let out a groan instead, hands immediately flying for his stomach. It was at that point that he realized he hadn’t actually eaten anything since breakfast… and he hadn’t even _finished_ that.

“But first, food,” Prompto laughed lightly when he realized his friend was probably really hungry, based off the grab at his stomach. “I’ll have something brought up.”

Noctis didn’t say anything as he climbed to his feet, still holding his stomach. How come he hadn’t noticed that he was starving? Normally, he had like a mental clock in his head to inform him when it was time to eat. Had his time with Prompto just… thrown it all out the window in favor of staying with him?

“Let’s get comfortable, and I’ll call down for a fish dinner for us,” Prompto suggested.

//…I don’t know what you said, but if you’re getting food, I don’t care…// Noct murmured.

“Let’s get changed. Come on,” Prompto urged, and got to his feet, gently pulling Noctis up with him. He headed over to the hotel phone, and then for room service, asking for a couple plates of good fish dinners, whatever was reasonable in price. He then nodded, thanked the person on the other end of the line, and hung up. “It’ll be up soon.”

Noctis, however, wasn’t looking at him and was instead looking at the phone curiously.

“It’s called a phone,” Prompto told him when he saw the curious look.

“…phone?”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded. “It lets me contact people from far away.”

Naturally, Noctis didn’t understand what was said and he, instead, turned back to the phone and picked the horn to put it to his ear like Prompto had done.

“Don’t worry about it. Come on, let’s get into some sleep clothes,” the smaller male chuckled.

When Prompto tugged him along, Noct begrudgingly put the phone down again and followed the blonde to where he’d dropped the shopping bags. Noctis wasn’t sure what to expect when Prompto then moved to the bed and proceeded to pull out some more of the ‘netting’ stuff.

Setting out some sleeveless shirts on the bed, along with some shorts and pulling out a pair of boxer briefs, Prompto said, “Go ahead and pick a shirt and shorts. I’m gonna get changed in the meantime.” With that said, the blonde grabbed a red tank top and black shorts from the dresser, and peeled off his vest and shirt, sliding the red tank top on in its place. He paused, however, when he thought about Noctis watching him change into the shorts.

And when he looked over to Noct, he quickly realized that, instead of looking at the clothes, the former Mer was just standing there watching _him_.

Prompto blushed faintly, before kicking off his boots and joining Noctis by the bed. “Here, it’s fine. We’ll get you into this,” he said, picking a gray shirt and black shorts for the raven. He then proceeded to pull off Noctis’ jacket, quickly followed by his shirt.

//…I just put these on,// Noctis pointed out as he gestured to the shirt and vest Prompto had just pulled off of him, clearly confused about why he had to change clothes so suddenly.

“This is so you can sleep comfortably,” Prompto explained. “That’s why I’m changing, too.”

“…??” Of course, Noctis just looked at Prompto strangely in response.

“Here,” the blonde murmured, pulling the sleeveless shirt onto the raven with some help from Noctis. “Now let’s get the shorts on.” He then had Noctis sit on the bed and gently pulled his boots off, quickly followed by his pants. Once Noctis’ lower half was exposed, however, Prompto’s cheeks tinted pink as he quickly but gently pulled the boxer briefs onto him. They were quickly followed by the shorts, and when he had Noctis stand again, he then pulled up both garments so they rested comfortably against his waist. “Better?”

After looking himself over (still not understanding the need for _different_ netting), Noctis looked up and blinked. Then, before Prompto could ask, Noct poked at his cheek. //Red,// he said simply.

“Wha?” Prompto uttered, before he realized he was still blushing. “Don’t worry, I’m okay,” he said, waving a hand dismissively.

Before Noctis could question it any further, though there was a knock on the door.

“Ah, that’s our dinner,” Prompto grinned eagerly. He then went to the door, and thanked the hotel employee for the food once he had the tray in his hands, before shutting the door and locking it. Once that was done, the blonde set the tray on the bed, and looked at Noctis. “I hope you like this, Noct,” he smiled hopefully before uncovering his own plate by removing the silver dome over it.

Noct, of course, looked at him oddly before he sat down on the other side, following Prompto’s example by removing the silver dome. And under each dome was a tasty-looking plate of herrings, the smell making Prompto’s mouth water. “Didn’t realize how hungry I was until now,” he laughed when his stomach growled.

With his eyes slightly wider than normal, Noctis reached out and picked up one of the fish, and then regarded its boneless insides through the even cut along its stomach.

Prompto picked up his silverware and began to cut into the herring, taking off a bite-sized piece and eating it, very nearly moaning at the taste. “Geez, this is better than I thought it’d be,” he said once he swallowed the bite.

As Prompto moved to cut another piece off, Noctis regarded the blonde, before he snorted. Then, without a moment of hesitation, he tilted his head back as he brought up the herring above him. And then he opened his mouth wide, let his tongue hang out and, effortlessly, let the fish slide into his mouth before he chomped down.

When the blonde saw this, he stared for a moment, before laughing softly and deciding to copy the raven with his own herring. The Mer watched as Prompto let the fish slip into his own mouth, even as he chewed on the fish, letting the taste fill his mouth, before swallowing it down.

Prompto then smiled at Noctis. “Didn’t think I could eat it like that,” he admitted.

The raven allowed a small smirk at the other’s amusement, reaching for another herring, before he blinked and spotted a small bowl of crispy fried fish, cocking his head.

The smaller male watched Noctis out of the corner of his eye as he picked up one of the fish and bit into it. Tilting his head curiously, Noctis reached out for a piece as well – and immediately retracted with a yowl of pain.

“Jeez! You okay, Noct? Sorry, I shoulda warned ya they’re really hot!” Prompto apologized quickly, setting his down and looking at the raven.

Noctis hissed painfully as he held his fingers tightly, mumbling something under his breath that was likely quiet cursing in Mer.

Prompto gave his friend a sympathetic look. “Sorry ‘bout that… I shoulda warned you…”

//Ow… why so warm?!// Noctis hissed out.

“It’s really hot, huh? They’re meant to be served really hot,” Prompto explained. “I’m just used to it, I guess…”

At those words, Noctis looked up at Prompto crossly, obviously not pleased with the lack of warning.

“Hey, I said I was sorry!” Prompto defended himself. “Here, all you gotta do is blow on them. Like this.” He then proceeded to blow on the crispy fish, cooling them a little. “It takes a bit, but keep blowing on them until they’re cool enough for you.”

Noctis watched him for a moment, before he reached out carefully, using only the very tips of his fingers, and lifting it up. He regarded it with a cross look as though _it_ was to blame, and then blew on it quietly.

“There ya go,” Prompto smiled ashe watched.

Once he had blown on it to cool it down significantly, Noctis brought the piece of fried fish to his mouth and (cautiously) bit off a piece.

 “Better?” the blonde asked.

Noctis carefully munched on the piece in his mouth, before he swallowed, tilting his head curiously and looking at the piece of food in his fingers.

“It’s even better with the sauce,” Prompto pointed out, gesturing to the little cup of sauce by the fish.

The Mer looked at the cup curiously, before he looked back to Prom with a quirked eyebrow.

“Here,” Prompto chuckled, and picked up his half-eaten piece of crispy fish and dunking it in his sauce, right before popping it in his mouth.

“…?” Noctis frowned, before he dipped his own fish in the sauce, and then bit off a small piece.

“Good, huh?” the smaller male asked with a small smile.

Instead of responding to the words, Noctis dipped the rest of the fish into the sauce and then popped it into his own mouth. This drew a pleased look on Prompto’s face, and he returned back to his own dinner.

 

Once they had finished eating, Prompto sighed contently as he reclined against the bed’s headboard. “That…was good.”

Noctis watching him quietly, before he moved over to rest along the bed, stretching lazily.

“Was it good for you, too, Noct?” Prompto asked with a tired smile.

The Mer-turned-human didn’t respond as he curled himself up on the bed quietly.

“Let’s get some sleep,” the blonde murmured, getting up briefly to set their tray from dinner outside of the room door so the staff could pick it up later, and then peeled back the covers on his side so he could get under them. “Noct, you need to move so you can sleep under the blankets.”

“…hm?” Noctis hummed as he looked up quietly.

“I don’t want you to get cold again, so get up. That way you’re under the blankets tonight,” Prompto told him, tugging a bit at the blankets beneath the raven.

The raven hummed a bit, before he pushed up quietly.

“Get under them,” Prompto instructed once he’d peeled back the blankets.

The other male briefly looked up from under his bangs, before he moved over… and promptly dropped down on the bed again, eyes shut before his head actually hit the pillow.

Prompto rolled his eyes in amusement, snorting softly before curling up under the blankets and pulling Noctis’s half over him. “Goodnight, Noct,” he whispered once he’d turned off the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way Noct was eating the herrings is the traditional Dutch way to eat a herring. One gulp. Two if you really need to.  
> The fried fish they were eating were "cod parings", a typical Dutch delicacy. Basically these are fried pieces of codfish, usually served with "ravigotte sauce". For those curious; ravigotte sauce is made with mayonnaise, sour cream, capers, pickled gherkins, parsley, chervil and chives.


	11. One Step Forward

When morning finally came, Noctis grunted in annoyance as there was a sudden blinding sensation against his closed eyelids, and he gave a small, muffled grumble, before he turned around and buried his head in the first thing he encountered. He didn’t care what it was; as long as it got the brightness away from his eyelids. Prompto, on the other hand, subconsciously snuggled closer to the sudden warmth against him, humming contently in his sleep.

Noct grumbled something as the brightness persisted, before he moved even closer and buried his face against Prompto’s neck, exhaling sharply in his annoyance.

This caused Prompto’s eyes to snap open, and he looked down at the source of the sudden heat against his neck in surprise. His surprise was clearly visible when he saw Noctis curled close to him, trying to use the blonde to block out the morning sunlight. Prompto nearly stiffened at the realization, but forced himself to remain relaxed for Noctis’ sake.

“Good morning, Noct,” he murmured, unable to resist curling a bit closer.

Noctis grumbled something in annoyance, which he couldn’t quite catch, but he assumed him to be saying something along the lines of either “It’s too early” or “It’s too bright”.

“Come on, sleepyhead, we gotta get up at some point,” the smaller male pointed out with a yawn at the end.

But Noct only gave a single sound of displeasure as he kept his eyes firmly shut and pressed against Prompto’s neck, breath coming out in slow, steady exhales.

“As much as I’d love to sleep more, we can’t. We need to get some breakfast,” Prompto chuckled, sorely tempted to run a hand through Noctis’ hair.

Again, though, Noct simply _refused_ to move.

“Noct, I don’t like doing this, but…” Prompto trailed off, and then forced himself to sit up, dislodging Noctis’ head from his neck.

Noct whined unhappily, before he peeked out through one eye at the blonde.

“Sorry Noct, but we gotta get up,” Prompto chuckled, resisting the urge to ruffle the raven’s ebony locks.

Noctis grumbled something… before he rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow without delay. This made Prompto pout, before he smirked. He didn’t give Noctis a moment to enjoy his new position as he got up, and then yanked the blankets off the bed, _and_ Noctis. And immediately, Noct yowled in surprise, before he turned to glare at Prompto.

Prompto merely gave a cheeky grin, before he smirked. “Gonna get up now?”

That question was met with a small growl – right before he got a pillow to his face.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Prompto chuckled darkly once he’d pulled the pillow from his face. He then chucked the pillow at Noctis, aiming for his face in retaliation.

Noct yelped in alarm, before snarling and whacking Prompto upside the head with the pillow.

“You’re being ridiculous,” Prompto grumbled, tossing the pillow off to the side, before sitting by Noctis and smirking. “You knew you had to get up at some point.”

Noctis glared at him and then shoved him against his chest. The raven was obviously NOT a morning person…

“Sorry, Noct, but we _do_ need to get up, get some breakfast, and then I need to check out a potential job…” the blonde sighed, giving the former Mer an apologetic look.

The only response he got was a huff.

Prompto pouted. “I’m sorry, okay? I really do need to check out a job offer for today, so you’ll be alone for a bit… Will you be okay?”

“…?” As if just catching on to the emotion in the words, Noctis blinked and tilted his head in question.

“Here, let’s get dressed for the day, and I’ll head out, but I shouldn’t be too long,” Prompto suggested, standing up and gathering Noctis’ clothes from the day before. They were barely used from the day before, so it would be okay. “Come on, let’s get you dressed in some day clothes.”

//…again?// Noctis asked, sounding almost annoyed, but he didn’t question it any further as he began to tug off his shirt.

“I know, it seems stupid, but humans wear different clothes for night and day,” Prompto sighed, catching the annoyance in his friend’s voice.

The raven looked up briefly at the words, before he scooted off of the bed. Of course he hadn’t understood a word Prompto just said, but whatever. If it was normal for humans to change this ‘netting’ so often, then he might as well blend in. It’s only natural, after all, to adjust yourself to the Corale you live in.

So Noct didn’t even bother as he pushed at the material hugging his hips, shoving it down his legs.

“Ah, wait, hang on!” Prompto yelped. He quickly hurried over and pulled Noctis’ underwear back up, saying: “Those need to stay. The shorts come off, but the underwear stays.”

//…? Why??//

Prompto’s face flushed crimson, unsure of how to explain it. “It won’t exactly be…comfortable, if you don’t wear the underwear,” he mumbled, embarrassed.

Noctis regarded Prompto for a moment… and then poked his cheek again.

“Just…awkward. Never had to explain that before,” Prompto muttered, knowing Noctis was questioning his blush.

This answer, of course, didn’t mean much to the raven, and he just continued to look at Prom like he was being all weird.

The blonde looked away as he adjusted Noctis’ boxers, before removing the shorts. He then got Noctis’ pants, shirt, and jacket, helping him into those without a word. What was the point? Noctis wouldn’t understand him much anyway…

“…Prom…?” Noctis suddenly asked.

“Hmm?” Prompto hummed, looking into those dark blue eyes briefly.

“…you okay?”

“I just…wish we understood each other better…”

It was clear from Noct’s expression that he didn’t understand him, but the tone of his voice obviously told him enough. So Noct did the one thing he knew to do in this situation; he made Prompto turn around and hugged him again.

This drew a soft laugh from the blonde, as he relaxed in Noctis’ hold. “I hope we can understand each other properly someday…” he murmured.

Noct didn’t respond to the words (since he didn’t understand them), but after a few moments, he asked: “Better?”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, even if he wasn’t completely. //Thank you.//

//You’re welcome,// Noctis said as he finally stepped back.

Prompto smiled softly at Noctis, despite missing his warmth already and feeling a small pang in his heart when the raven pulled away.

Once he had stepped around Prompto, Noctis asked: //Now what do we do?//

At the inquisitive look and tone, Prompto said: “I need to get ready for a job opportunity, but I can’t bring you with…”

Noctis caught the undertone, and while he didn’t fully understand it, he did frown in question.

“Don’t worry about it. First, breakfast,” Prompto assured him, and headed over to the hotel phone again. He then decided to order something different than what Noctis could have ever had, and called down to place their order before hanging up. “It should be up soon,” he smiled at the raven.

//…food?// Noctis questioned curiously.

“I got something special for us, so I hope you’re hungry,” Prompto chuckled, shedding his tank top for a similar shirt to the day before.

While Prompto was changing, Noctis eventually decided to wander around the room a bit more and explore. He didn’t get the chance last night, so he figured he may as well take advantage of the small break. And the blonde watched him out of the corner of his eyes as he changed, eventually pulling on his vest and finally, his boots.

By the time Prompto had finished, Noctis had already seen most of what there was to see. Which wasn’t a lot, since the hotel room was still incredibly impersonal. And this, naturally, left the former Mer rather confused.

//…this is your room, right?// he asked as he gestured around the room.

“Huh? It’s nice, but I don’t live here. I’m just here for jobs, and it helped so I could see you often,” Prompto told him, shaking his head.

While Noctis didn’t understand everything that was being said, the headshake told him enough for the moment, which left him even more confused than before. Humans could stay in a room that didn’t belong to them? That was almost bizarre…

A sudden knock on the door had Prompto going to answer it. He thanked the hotel employee for the food, and then brought the tray over to the bed so they could eat. “Hope you like ‘em,” the smaller male grinned, pulling off the domes on both of their plates and revealing their breakfast to Noctis.

“…??” The first thing Noctis did with his ‘food’ was poke at it cautiously with a finger. Probably to test it for its heat after last night’s fiasco. And shortly after that he tilted his head before looking to Prompto in question.

“They’re called pancakes, and they’re really good,” Prompto informed him, before sitting down and spreading some butter on each pancake, then pouring a bit of syrup on each one before cutting off some and eating it. As he began to eat, Noctis watched Prompto for a moment more, and it was clear he was hesitating. His nose was also twitching a bit, which Prompto assumed was because he was trying to take in the smell of his food first before digging in.

In the end, though, Noct reached out and picked up his own silverware to start eating as well.

“What do you think?” Prompto smirked once Noctis took a bite.

As he chewed on the pancakes, Noctis’ frowned in slight question, tilting his head as if trying to figure something out. Finally, as he swallowed, he hummed a bit, before cutting off another piece.

“Wait, it’s better with syrup,” Prompto said, nudging his cup of syrup towards him.

“…? Sy…rup?”

“Here, pour it over your pancakes,” the blonde instructed.

When Noct continued to stare at him blankly, Prompto picked up the cup and poured the syrup over Noct’s stack of pancakes. This made the raven cock his head in question, before poked at the syrup – and blinked when a string of syrup stretched between his finger and the pancakes as he pulled back.

“It’s sticky ‘cause of the sugar,” Prompto laughed lightly. “Taste it. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

Noct tugged his finger further away until the string snapped and then he looked at the syrup that was now stuck to his hand, making a face. And Prompto, unable to help himself, laughed at Noctis’ expression. And this, of course, made Noct turn to him crossly.

“What? You were making a funny face!” Prompto laughed.

Noctis only continued to glare, obviously not amused by whatever the blonde found so entertaining. Prompto rolled his eyes with a smile, before returning to his own breakfast.

The raven on the other hand, glared at Prompto for a moment more before he put his fork down and began trying to ‘tug off’ the syrup from his hand. Which worked about as well as one would think…

Noticing this, Prompto chuckled: “You can eat it, Noct. It won’t hurt you.”

Noctis looked up briefly, before he went right back to what he’d been doing.

“Here, like this,” Prompto said suddenly, sticking his finger into his own syrup cup and getting some on there. He then licked the syrup off until it was gone, and then looked at Noctis.

Blinking, Noctis looked at the syrup that now covered the palms of both his hands. After a moment more, he brought up his hands and began to lick up the syrup from his palms, his eyes slipping half-shut instinctively.

As Prompto watched, his eyes began to widen as he felt a wave of heat course through him at the sight. Damn that unintentional teasing! To make matters worse for the blonde, the sweet taste of the syrup actually made Noctis hum pleasantly as he licked up the last of it from his fingers and palms.

At the sound of the hum, Prompto stiffened, feeling himself begin to harden. ‘ _Fuck…!_ ’ he thought in a panic.

Almost as if he’d heard the thought, Noctis looked up from licking up the last drops of syrup and regarded Prompto with a small frown. //…what?//

“Nothing,” the smaller male tried to assure him, praying to whatever higher powers there were that Noctis wouldn’t try to push it.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what Noctis had in mind, as he raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, making his messy bangs slide along his forehead. //…why’re you so tense?// he asked, even though he knew Prom couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Prompto growled in his mind. ‘ _Please don’t ask what my problem is,_ ’ he thought in frustration. The last thing he wanted to do was explain how he was hard to his friend, as Noctis was the one who had made him hard in the first place. “I’m fine,” he insisted, about to turn back to his food.

Noctis, however, moved over and poked him in the shoulder, even as he thought briefly. “Wh…what’s… wrong?” he got out, finally.

The blonde mentally cursed; how was he gonna explain it to Noctis when the raven wouldn’t understand?!

Noct continued to watch him quietly, but it was clear that the raven was starting to get worried.

“I’ll…be right back, hang on,” Prompto mumbled quickly, and hurried to the bathroom, snapping the door shut and locking it behind him. “Fuck…” he hissed as he tried not to touch himself. That would only make it worse.

Sighing shakily, the blonde turned on the sink on cold water, and splashed some cold water on his face. Oh, how he wished he could take a cold shower or jerk off right now. But that wasn’t happening any time soon. Not with Noctis outside in the bedroom. Finally, he managed to regain his composure and calm down enough to rejoin Noctis.

When Prompto came back, Noctis had already gone back to his own food, but as soon as he caught sight of the blonde, he looked up in obvious concern.

“I’m okay, just had to use the bathroom,” the smaller male told him with a smile.

“…?” Noctis cocked his head in question at those words.

“Never mind,” Prompto chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. “How’re your pancakes?”

The raven obviously didn’t understand the words, but in the end, he gave a small exhale and went back to his breakfast.

Prompto sighed internally. Damned language barrier… He ended up sitting back on the bed again and finishing his own pancakes, and once he’d eaten them all, he groaned softly as he stretched his arms over his head until his elbows popped.

At the sound, Noctis blinked and looked at Prompto’s elbows oddly.

This made an amused look appear on Prompto’s face. “I just need to stretch. Don’t your joints sometimes get stiff as a Mer?”

“…???”

Prompto merely laughed softly. “It’s okay.” He then looked at the time on his phone, before sighing heavily. “Damn, I gotta go, but I’ll be back soon. Will you be okay here?”

Noctis wasn’t sure he’d gotten the meaning of everything Prompto said, but he had a feeling he knew what the last part was. //…why are you asking me if I’ll ‘be okay’?//

“I need you to stay here,” Prompto said firmly, pointing down at the bed in a sort of ‘stay’ gesture. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.” And with that said, the blonde hugged Noctis briefly, before pulling away, grabbing his camera, and then grabbing his room key and leaving, Noctis left alone.

Noctis could only stare at the door for a long time, before he frowned in confusion. Why had Prompto just… left? He didn’t seem to have _wanted_ to leave, and yet he had anyway.

Looking down at the emptied plates, Noctis frowned angrily, before he stood up again. As he looked around, his gaze fell on the room that Prompto had just gone in for a bit, and he hummed in question, before he walked over and stepped inside. As soon as he did, he frowned at the darkness around him. He was sure the room had been brighter before…

Thinking back to when Prompto came out, Noctis recalled Prompto moving his hand along the wall. As he moved his fingers along the wall to his left, he soon found sort of button. And the moment he pushed it, he yelped at the sudden brightness invading his eyes, making him cover his eyes. //Gah… WHY so bright?!// he hissed, before he blinked against the brightness. //…what is this room for?// he wondered as he walked further inside.

He wasn’t sure what everything was, but everything was in white and it all looked very smooth. There was what looked like a large rectangle bucket of some kind, a smaller one of those that was attached to the wall at waist level and a chair that had a hole in the center with water in it. Really? What was the point of any of this?

The two ‘buckets’ had these handles next to it, but Noct had _no_ idea what those were for. So, as curiosity demanded; he turned one of them. And he was pleasantly surprised when water came flowing from the thing in the center.

It took him a bit of fiddling to figure out the blue handle gave him cold water and the red one gave warm water (eventually)… but what was the point of any of that?

//Humans are _so_ weird…// he murmured when he also realized that the water smelled… odd. So unlike the water he had grown up in for so long.

Shaking the matter off, Noctis eventually slipped out of the room again, and looked around, expecting Prompto to have returned during the time he’d been busy.

…which he hadn’t.

//You honestly expect me to stay behind?// he snarled softly and without so much as a second thought, he walked to the door to the room.

He’d seen Prompto open it before, so he knew how it worked, and he opened it with no difficulty, allowing him to leave the room behind. He did make sure to close it behind him, before he started off to try and figure out where Prompto went.

 

Prompto, meanwhile, was at the job site he was shooting photos at, which was a birthday party for a woman who had just turned 21, but all Prompto could think about was Noctis as he took the photos. Granted, the pictures were still perfect, but he was worried about Noctis. He couldn’t help but think about how the raven probably left the hotel room instead of staying like he’d asked him to.

Suddenly, one of the women at the party tried to grab at him, as she’d been trying to flirt with him throughout the entire party since she’d started drinking. The poor blonde had made it clear he wasn’t interested, but the girl didn’t care. When she tried to grab him, however, he growled.

“Stop it,” he snapped, becoming frustrated. “I’m not even straight!”

“I think you’re just confused,” she slurred with a drunken grin, making Prompto glare at her.

Now effectively pissed off, he stalked away from her, and then took a few deep breaths before approaching the birthday girl’s father, who had hired him.

“I think one of your daughter’s friends is a bit too drunk,” he advised, discreetly pointing at said drunken woman.

“I’m sorry about her, Prompto,” the man apologized. “She’s a bit of a lightweight, and doesn’t realize it.”

“It’s…okay, she just keeps flirting with me, and I’m not interested,” Prompto explained, and the father nodded.

“No worries, it’s understandable. If you’d like, I can pay you your full amount for the trouble, and let you go early. After all, it seems you’ve taken plenty of pictures,” the older man smiled.

“That would be nice, but are you sure?” Prompto asked, frowning slightly.

“Of course, my boy. Here’s your pay, you’ve earned it,” the father chuckled, and placed a thick wad of gil in his hand. Prompto’s eyes widened in shock at the amount, but the man laughed. “Don’t you worry about it, my boy. Enjoy yourself, and I look forward to seeing your pictures later.”

“Y-yes, sir!” Prompto grinned, and then began to leave, but waved in farewell before heading to the docks, just in case Noctis had somehow gotten there on his own.

 

Noctis, meanwhile, was actually walking along the marketplace, more than a little curious about the numerous stalls set up. The humans at the stalls were calling out to those walking around, possibly to try and get them to buy their wares, which was a familiar sight even to the ex-Mer. He’d seen that happening in Insomnia, too, whenever he went into the market to get some things with Ignis.

Sometimes they also seemed to call to him, tempting him to come buy something, but he was always quick to shake his head as he held up a hand with a small smile, something he’s always done in Insomnia. That is, until he came to one particular stand and his eyes widened in awe as he actually approached it.

The girl behind the stand giggled as she likely caught the look. “Do you like flowers, sir?”

‘These are… flowers…?’ Noctis wondered as he reached out cautiously and rubbed the petals of one of the flowers between his fingers. He’d never felt anything like it before; it was soft, and yet it felt perfectly smooth, nearly making him shiver at the feeling of the petal along the pads of his fingers. On top of that, there were SO many of them! So many _different_ ones! And Noctis found himself carefully examining each and every one of them.

The girl giggled, and Noctis looked up curiously at the sound. “Which ones would you like, sir?”

He recognized that tone; she was likely asking him which ones he wanted. And as much as he would’ve liked to get some, he didn’t have any of whatever humans used as currency, so even though he REALLY wanted to get some, he couldn’t.

He regarded the flowers for a moment, before he sighed and shook his head as he stepped back, hoping that she understood what he meant by that.

“Ah, wait!” she called out as he made to leave. And when he looked over, she was going through something behind the counter. “Here,” she said then, holding out a single red flower to him. “You can give this to a girl you like.”

Startled at the sudden offering, Noctis almost didn’t dare to take it. In the end, he did take it with almost trembling fingers. “…T… thank you.”

“You’re welcome~”

As Noctis walked along after, he continued looking at the flower he held curiously, turning it between his fingers slowly. As he breathed, though, he suddenly blinked as he realized something. Bringing the flower to his face, he took a deep breath through his nose, and the scent that invaded his nostrils almost had him moaning.

‘ _I… I never knew such a powerful scent could even_ ** _exist_** _…_ ’

Suddenly, there was a familiar whistling sound and he snapped his head up. After a few moments of looking around, Noctis finally hurried off toward the sound, which had come from the docks.

And sure enough, when he arrived at the abandoned docks, Ignis and Gladio appeared from below the water. //Ignis! Gladio!//

//Dammit, Noct! You got any idea how worried we were, you little idiot?!// Gladio snarled out as the prince walked over.

Noct flinched at the words, as he dropped down to his knees. //Sorry… I was… that was dumb…// he admitted.

//You bet it’s dumb!! What the hell were you thinking?! What do you expect this to accomplish?!//

//Gladio,// Ignis interrupted. //Enough. We have other things to worry about.// While Gladio glared at Ignis, Ignis kept his gaze on  Noct. //Are you all right?//

//Yes, I’m fine…// Noct admitted. //I’m sorry to have worried you.//

Before Ignis could say anything else, though…

“Noct!” Prompto’s voice called suddenly, and the blonde hurried over, a look of immense relief yet worry on his face. “I’m sorry! I got out early, but I figured you must have left anyway, so I decided to check the docks…”

Noctis blinked in surprise at the blonde’s sudden appearance, before he glanced to the two Mer still in the water. While Ignis looked at Prompto with his usual solemn expression, Gladio was actively glaring at him. Noct was sure Ignis had informed Gladio by now, but the older Mer was obviously less than impressed with Prompto.

When the blonde noticed the other two Mer, he looked at them curiously before looking to Noctis in question. Gesturing to them, he asked: //Friends?//

That actually made Gladio look at Prompto in slight surprise, while Ignis merely hummed curiously.

//Interesting… you’ve taught him our language?// he asked.

//It… gets kinda hard otherwise, really…// Noctis said with a half shrug, before he looked to Prom with a nod. Then he gestured to the sandy blonde in the water. “Ignis,” he introduced and the advisor merely nodded his head to Prompto. “Gladio,” he said as he gestured for the guard, who snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

Prompto smiled slightly in greeting to the pair, feeling a tad intimidated by Gladio. He then looked at Noctis with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry for leaving earlier… I had a job I needed to do…” he sighed.

Noctis regarded Prompto for a moment, before he shrugged a little.

“Noct,” Ignis suddenly said, making the raven look up. //How long will you be like this?//

The prince hesitated for a brief moment, not even sure why, before he resigned himself to the questioning. //Two weeks.//

//I see…//

When no new questions followed, Noct decided to ask his own. //Is… is Father upset…?//

//No… just worried.//

That somewhat eased Noct’s mind, but certainly not entirely. He was probably going to be grounded for life when he came back.

//Hey.// When Gladio spoke, Noct almost jumped. //What price did you pay?//

‘ _…! Oh damn…!_ ’

//Noct?// Ignis asked when Noctis looked away.

Prompto listened to the exchange, definitely confused, but he frowned, concerned, when the raven looked away from his friends. “Noct? What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

Noctis took a heavy breath, before he mumbled something that Prompto couldn’t understand. But whatever it was, it made both Ignis and Gladio stare at him in shock.

//You did WHAT?!// Gladio demanded, and Noct flinched sharply.

//Noct, do you realize what you’ve done?// Ignis asked, and while he sounded as calm as possible, he could tell he was just as perturbed as Gladio.

//I **know**! Okay!? But…// Noct took a deep breath to calm him down, before he explained. //If I can’t provide it when I return… then I just need to find something of equal or greater value. That’s it.//

//…That’s it?// Ignis repeated, a deep frown on his face.

Noct only nodded.

Prompto watched his friend in concern, wondering just what hey were talking about.

//Noct…// Ignis said finally, making the Mer-turned-human look up. //Just watch yourself… understand?//

//…Right…// Noctis sighed. //I’ll… I’ll come straight home when I’m done here. I promise.//

Ignis nodded softly, before he turned to Prompto with a frown.

Prompto frowned back, before speaking, despite them not understanding. “I’ll take care of him,” he promised, as he knew they were worried about their friend. As he spoke, he took Noctis’ hand in his to, hopefully, reassure the other two Mer.

While Ignis obviously didn’t understand what he was saying, the human’s tone was apparently enough for him and he nodded. He then turned to Gladio and said: //Let’s return.//

//…Right,// Gladio grumbled.

With that said, the two Mer ducked under water and disappeared from sight.

Sighing once the pair was gone, Prompto looked at Noctis worriedly. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Noctis nodded his head, reaching up with the hand not held by Prompto’s to wipe his bangs out of his eyes.

That’s when Prompto noticed the rose Noctis held. “Hey, where’d you get that?” he inquired, pointing at the red flower with his own free hand as he tilted his head curiously.

Noctis blinked at the question, before he looked to the flower he still held. Realizing what he Prom was probably asking, Noctis turned a little and pointed toward the marketplace.

“You went through the market, huh?” the blonde said, and then looked at the raven. “It’s really nice,” he murmured, smiling softly.

Noctis smiled back at him, before he turned to look at the flower again, turning it between his fingers.

“Do you want another flower?” Prompto asked suddenly, seeing the taller male’s fascination with the rose.

“…?” Noctis blinked as he looked up curiously.

Prompto simply smiled warmly at the former Mer, and then led him to the marketplace, eventually finding the flower stall. As they arrived at the stall, Noctis blinked curiously just as the girl noticed them. When she saw him, she smiled.

“Oh hi again! I see you brought a friend this time.”

“I take it you gave him the rose, huh?” Prompto asked with a small chuckle.

The girl giggled, as Noctis regarded Prompto for a moment, not sure he understood what was going on. “Yeah. Figured he left his wallet by accident so I thought… yanno,” she offered with a warm smile.

“It’s okay,” the blonde nodded. Looking at Noctis, he gestured to the flowers and asked: “Which ones do you like?”

This caused Noct to stare at Prompto for a moment, before he looked to the flowers again. Prompto merely smiled and waited patiently, watching the raven to see which ones caught his eye. After a long moment of looking around at the flowers, Noct finally pointed to an ensemble of various shades of blue flowers.

“I’ll take one of each shade of the blue ones, please,” Prompto told the girl, glancing at Noctis very briefly.

“Sure thing!” the girl chirped as she moved over to collect the ensemble.

Noctis watched her curiously as she took the flowers and then proceeded to wrap them up in something really thin, securing it with what he assumed was a ribbon.

“There you go,” she quipped as she passed the flowers to Noct, who, after a moment of hesitation, them from her slowly.

Pulling out his wallet, Prompto looked at the girl. “How much for them all?” he asked.

“Normally it’s 30 gil including the wrapping… but let’s keep it at 20 and leave it for next time, kay?” she giggled with a wink.

“Thanks,” the blonde told her, and pulled out 20 gil, handing it to her before helping Noctis tuck the rose into the bouquet and taking his free hand. “Let’s head back,” he murmured.

Noctis blinked curiously, before he smiled and followed after Prompto quietly.

Once they got back to the hotel, Prompto kicked off his boots as soon as they got into the room. “Ahh, much better. It’s hot out there…” he sighed in relief. Looking at Noctis, he said, “Let’s get some water for those, that way they don’t dry out.”

“…?” Noct, of course, didn’t get what he meant.

The blonde chuckled, and gently took the bouquet from the raven, before turning to the kitchenette to put the flowers in a deep bowl with water. However, he happened to notice the bathroom light was on as he went.

“Hmm? Why’s the bathroom light on?” he wondered aloud, moving towards the tiled room instead. “Coulda sworn I turned it off earlier…”

When he saw Prompto heading for the bathroom, Noctis moved after him curiously.

Prompto looked around inside with a small frown, but then shrugged. “Guess I left it on accidentally,” he mumbled. He then resumed his trip to the kitchenette. “Right, there should be a vase or _something_ for them in here…” he muttered, digging through the cabinets.

Noctis wasn’t sure what Prompto was looking for, but rather than say anything about it, he copied Prompto’s actions and started rummaging through the cabinets.

Prompto, hearing the noise, looked at Noctis before he let out a laugh.

“…?” Noctis blinked as he looked over.

“You don’t know what I’m looking for, Noct, so why are _you_ looking through the cabinets?” Prompto asked with another laugh.

Of course, Noct’s only response was a blink, before he went back to looking through the cabinet… and then he gave a curious hum and pulled out a fairly old looking vase.

This made Prompto blink, before he closed the cabinet he was looking in and went over to the raven. “This is perfect,” he smiled. “You’re good, Noct.”

The raven looked over oddly, but didn’t say anything as Prompto took the vase from his hands. Prompto then went over to the sink with the vase and filled it to a good place with water, and then placed the bouquet in the vase on the counter.

“There. They need water, or else they’ll die sooner,” he explained to Noctis.

“…water?” Noctis questioned oddly with a tilt of his head.

Prompto nodded. “Flowers need water to live.”

“…?” Noctis frowned. He understood the first part (mostly), but he couldn’t understand the last part. What was the blonde talking about?

“It’s okay,” Prompto assured him. Taking Noctis’ hand, he guided him to the bed, where he sat them down. “I missed you earlier. Couldn’t stop thinking about you while I was gone…”

Noctis cocked his head at those words. Prompto’d said them before, but he still didn’t understand the meaning well enough. “…missed… me?”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded. “I didn’t _want_ to leave, you know.”

Noctis didn’t say anything, but he continued to watch Prompto quietly.

Taking a deep breath, Prompto tried to calm his nerves as he exhaled. He _really_ wanted to tell Noctis how much he cares for him, how much he _loves_ him, but would Noctis understand? Probably not…

“…Prom…?”

“Hmm?” the blonde hummed, looking at Noctis curiously.

“…you… okay…?”

“…Sort of…” Prompto admitted, sighing.

“…? What’s… wrong?”

The smaller male hesitated, before exhaling softly. “I want to tell you how I feel about you, Noct, but I know you won’t understand me much…”

Naturally, the raven merely watched him in question, though his expression seemed to be extremely worried. Prompto’s bright blue gaze focused on Noctis’ dark blue one as he took one of the raven’s hands in his.

“I love you, even if you don’t understand everything I say. I want to work through it all, even though it’s tough…”

Noctis looked at the joined hands curiously, before he regarded Prompto quietly.

Prompto gave a heavy sigh, trying to keep his frustrated tears at bay. “I care about you so much, and when I was gone earlier, I worried about you the whole time… I was so relieved when I found you at the docks, because I don’t want to see you hurt…”

“…Prom?” As Prompto looked up, Noctis reached up and moved his thumbs along the blonde’s cheeks, confused. “…water…?”

The blonde gave a soft, watery laugh. “They’re called tears,” he whispered.

“…tears?”

Prompto nodded. “They happen when I’m sad or upset…” he explained quietly. “And right now, I’m sad because I want you to know how much I love you, but you don’t understand…”

Though the words clearly meant nothing to Noctis, the tone clearly said enough, as he frowned sadly at his friend. Before Prompto could say anything else, though, Noct moved around to his back and hugged him from behind, resting his head against the blonde’s shoulders gently.

Prompto relaxed in Noctis’ hold, as usual, even though he simply wanted to cuddle with him. Instead of being held by Noctis, he wanted them to be holding each other and even kiss on occasion. As Prompto thought that, though, a familiar sound began to fill the air again, as Noctis began to sing softly.

Fortunately, this time they were sitting, or else Prompto knew his legs would have given out on him again. He leaned back lightly into the raven’s hold, sighing contently, even if it was temporary.

As Noctis continued to sing, though, Prompto was sure he could get the basic rhythm and lyrics to it…

“ _Ieyui… Nobomeno… Renmiri… Yojuyogo… Hasatekanae… Kutamae…_ ”

The blonde tried to look back at Noctis so he could see him, but gave up when he couldn’t. “I love you, Noctis,” he whispered almost silently.

As Noctis finished singing, Noctis regarded him from over the blonde’s shoulder, curious. “…love… me…?” he asked slowly, obviously uncertain what the word meant.

Prompto nodded, turning his head to look at Noctis as best as he could in their current position. “I care about you very much, Noct, and I want to be with you.”

“…” Noctis watched him for a moment longer, before he sighed softly and rest his head against Prompto’s back again. //I really don’t understand you… but… I wish I could stay here… with you… forever…//

The smaller male shifted in Noctis’ hold, turning so he was kneeling in front of him. ‘Maybe…’ he thought, looking at Noctis with his emotions basically bared. He hoped the raven would be able to tell how he felt looking at him, because he didn’t know what else to do other than kiss him. And he didn’t want to scare Noctis away by doing that.

Noctis tilted his head when he looked into Prompto’s eyes. There was something in the blonde’s eyes that he hadn’t seen before, and he wasn’t entirely sure if he was seeing what he believed to be seeing. Of course, he’d like to hope he did, but when was he ever that lucky?

“…Prom…?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Instead of responding verbally, however, Prompto thought, ‘ _Fuck it,_ ’ and moved in, pressing his lips to the raven’s own.

And Noctis just… froze in response, startled into immobility, his eyes wide in alarm as he gasped – completely forgetting Prompto’s mouth was over his.

When Prompto felt Noctis freeze up, he began to pull away slowly, thinking the taller male didn’t want it.

But just as their lips disconnected, Noctis instinctively gave a small whine-like sound, whispering a word that Prompto didn’t understand, before the raven grabbed Prompto by the back of his head and pulled him in. The blonde gave a small, startled noise of surprise before kissing back eagerly, moving his lips smoothly with Noctis’.

The raven moaned softly as he wrapped his arms around Prompto’s shoulders, tugging him closer, still. This made Prompto whimper into the kiss, groaning as he wrapped his own arms around Noctis’ shoulders as well, keeping the taller male close.

After almost ten minutes, oxygen became an issue and the pair slowly broke apart again. Noctis was breathing heavily, looking at Prompto from under his bangs… but his eyes were not blue anymore; they seemed to be almost glowing a dark violet.

Prompto’s breath caught in his throat before he lightly touched under Noctis’ eyes. “Noct…your eyes…” he breathed.

“…?” Noctis blinked as he tilted his head, his eyes slipping open further, but they continued to glow an almost fierce violet hue.

“Your eyes are a different color…” the smaller male whispered, before smiling happily in relief at the realization that Noctis felt the same about him. Pulling Noctis close, he couldn’t help the happy tears that flowed down his cheeks.

Noctis blinked at the sight of the tears, before he reached up and began to gently wipe them away. “…Prom…?”

“It’s okay, Noct,” Prompto soothed, taking the taller male’s hands. “I’m happy, I really am.”

Noctis didn’t say anything immediately, as his eyes slowly returned to their normal color again. After a moment, though, he reached in and placed another, light kiss on the blonde’s lips.

This drew a content smile to the blonde’s lips, and he pulled Noctis close, merely wanting to hold him.

Noctis breathed softly against the blonde’s lips, before he pulled back and placed his head on Prompto’s shoulder. As he held onto the human, though, he began to wonder… and began to realize what Prom had been trying to say.

“…Prom?”

“Hmm?” Prompto hummed.

Noctis lightly pulled back and looked Prompto in the eye, foreheads touching and making sure that Prompto could see into his eyes when he spoke. //I love you.//

Prompto knew what Noctis had said, despite the language barrier, and he smiled softly before whispering, “I love you, too.”

Noctis smiled gently, kissing the blonde one more time before hugging him close.

And like that, they stayed, just breathing softly and holding each other close.


	12. Passing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotta do something with your time, right?

In normal situations, Prompto would’ve been tempted to stay in Altissia for as long as he could possibly afford, in hopes of catching up with Noctis again. But since Noctis was now right here with him, he didn’t really see the need to do so. And that’s why, two days later, this found the both of them on a boat that was on the way to Cape Caem. Prompto was a _little_ nervous about bringing Noctis to his home, but eventually shook it off, since Noct didn’t actually know just what this would mean in human culture, even if he’d begun to pick up the language ridiculously fast.

He still wasn’t perfect, but he was learning fast.

“ _Nnnrgh…!_ There yet?” the raven asked after stifling another yawn as he walked over to Prompto across the deck, rubbing at his eyes.

“Not yet, but soon,” Prompto chuckled, pecking his cheek once the raven was close.

Noctis regarded Prompto for a moment, before he brought up a hand to cover his yawn. “Too early…” he pointed out through it.

“I know, but we can rest once we get to my home,” the blonde promised. “Sound good?”

“Hmm… hmhmm…”

Prompto merely chuckled, and eventually, they arrived at Cape Caem, where the smaller male lightly nudged Noctis. “We’re here, Noct.”

“Hm?” Noctis hummed, before he looked up… and then blinked. “…That is beach!” he said as he pointed to the beach to the side.

“Yep, that’s where we met,” Prompto smiled. He then looked around to see where their ride was at, and then spotted her. “Come on, you get to meet another friend of mine. She doesn’t know you were a Mer, though, okay?”

The raven looked over curiously, before he blinked. As they started walking over, Noctis’ eyes widened and he pointed at their ride and the person waiting by it. “She in car picture.”

“Yeah, her name is Cindy,” Prompto smiled, glad Noctis remembered. “Hey Cindy!” he called in greeting to the curly-haired blonde as they approached.

“Hey boys! Ready for the drive to Lestallum?” she asked with a grin.

“Yeah, but first…” Prompto said, and gently pulled Noctis forward. “This is Noctis. He’s my boyfriend.”

“I thought you said there was no chance with this cutie?” Cindy teased. “Well, congrats. Nice to meet you, Noctis.”

“N… nice to meet you,” Noctis said, hoping he didn’t sound as unsure of his speech as he often felt he did when speaking to anyone who wasn’t Prompto.

“Pleasure’s mine, hun,” Cindy smiled brightly. “Now, let’s get going before it gets too hot out.”

“Right,” Prompto nodded, and helped Noctis into the back seat of the car before climbing in behind him.

As the car started up and pulled away to head to Lestallum, Prompto took Noctis’ hand in his, smiling softly at the raven. At the touch, Noctis briefly looked over to their joined hands, and he allowed a smile, before his gaze went back to the outside world, more than a little curious about the scenery as it whizzed by. Prompto merely watched him in amusement, knowing his boyfriend was fascinated with the world above the water now, despite his lack of showing it often.

 

It was almost an hour later that they finally arrived, and Prompto climbed out of the backseat, helping Noctis out behind him.

“Thanks, Cindy. I’ll call you sometime, okay?” Prompto told her, and she smirked.

“Don’t you worry about it none, Prompto. Just call me if you need me,” she assured him before driving off to Hammerhead. Prompto chuckled, and then looked at Noctis.

“Ready to see my home?” he asked.

At the question, Noctis looked over from his sightseeing, before he nodded with a small smile.

“Then let’s go,” the blonde said, and led Noctis along the paths of Lestallum to the residential area, where he lived.

As they drew closer to the correct building, Prompto began to get nervous. What if Noctis didn’t like it, or wasn’t impressed? It seemed stupid, but he couldn’t help it.

“Prom…?” Noctis asked as he noticed the blonde’s anxiety.

“It’s okay, Noct. Just… a bit nervous about showing you my home, I guess…” the smaller male admitted.

“…? Why??”

“I keep thinking you won’t like it or anything, I guess,” Prompto confessed as he stopped by his home.

Of course, the raven just looked at him oddly. While he understood what he said, the look was mostly because he didn’t understand the reasoning behind it.

“I know, it’s stupid,” Prompto sighed, lowering his gaze.

“…” Noctis didn’t bother to respond verbally, and instead reached out and took hold of Prompto’s hand.

Prompto blinked, before looking up at Noctis in slight surprise. “Thank you,” he murmured with a small smile, kissing him briefly.

“You’re welcome,” Noctis said softly. “Go inside?” he asked finally.

Prompto laughed lightly, before nodding. “Yeah, let’s go inside.” With that said, the blonde pulled out his key ring, and then unlocked the door before going inside. “Here it is. Home, sweet home.”

As they stepped inside, Noctis looked around the first room curiously, immediately noticing the difference between this one and the hotel room they’d been in before. The room was a lot more personal, with various trinkets and photographs hung up along the walls. It actually somewhat reminded him of his room back home.

‘ _…home…_ ’

And not for the first time, Noctis’ expression fell as he remembered his own home, and more specifically, his father…

“You miss your home, huh?” Prompto asked softly, seeing Noctis’ down expression.

“…I… I miss Father… more than home…” Noctis admitted softly.

Prompto sighed, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry…” he mumbled.

“…? Why?” Noct asked, confused as to why Prompto would feel _sorry_.

“Because you somehow became human just to be with me,” Prompto explained. “You left everything behind back home, including your family.”

“Not… your fault… I choose… do so,” Noctis said, the sentence a bit broken as he tried to form the correct words

“But still…” the smaller male insisted weakly, lowering his gaze again.

Before Prompto could get too far into his own anxiety, Noctis lifted his head and kissed him gently.

Prompto kissed back lovingly, wrapping his arms around Noctis’ neck to keep him close. He then slid his tongue along Noctis’ bottom lip, silently seeking entry. Noctis tensed for a moment, before he relaxed and opened his mouth, letting his tongue slip out to play with Prompto’s. The first time Prompto’d done that, he’d actually pulled back in slight alarm, not understanding what had just happened, but Prompto had been patient, teaching him that it was nothing to be scared of. So Noctis slipped his arms around Prompto’s waist, tilting his head a little to the side.

The smaller male moaned softly, curling his tongue with Noctis’. He had felt the very brief tensing in his boyfriend, but knew it was only because he wasn’t used to kissing like this, so he wasn’t as concerned as he had been the first time he’d tried that.

After about five minutes of kissing, they broke away again, foreheads touching gently as they continued to hold each other.

“Love you, Noct,” Prompto whispered, smiling softly.

“Love you, too, Prom…” Noctis echoed softly, shutting his eyes lightly.

“Let’s get some rest,” Prompto murmured, before, regretfully, pulling away to guide the raven to his bedroom.

Noctis nodded, following after the blonde into the bedroom.

Once inside said room, Prompto dropped onto the bed, laughing a little. “I’m more tired from the trip than I first thought,” he admitted.

Noctis laughed at the words as he moved to join Prompto on the bed, getting himself as comfortable as he could on the much smaller bed (compared to the one at the hotel, anyway).

Immediately, this had the blonde cuddling closer, practically tucking himself into Noctis’ side. At this, Noctis smiled softly, before he reached out and poked Prompto to his cheek. //Starfish,// he quipped cheekily, which was something he’d gotten around to calling the blonde affectionately because of how often he’d glue himself to the raven’s side.

Prompto rolled his eyes, but chuckled anyway. Still smiling, Noct settled a little better along the mattress and shut his eyes quietly. And Prom, unable to resist, kissed Noctis’ collarbone softly, before closing his own eyes and settling in for a nap.

 

When Prompto blinked his eyes open, he quickly realized that it was dark, and upon looking up, he saw that Noctis was standing by the window, leaning on the sill and just staring outside quietly.

“Noct…?” he called sleepily, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them.

The raven hummed softly, before he slowly turned around… which revealed that his eyes were glowing violet again.

“N… Noct?” the smaller male stuttered a bit when he saw the violet.

The Mer-turned-human quietly straightened up as he turned around to lean back against the windowsill, the lights of Lestallum framing him through the window. Prompto swallowed hard, the tiniest of whimpers escaping him as he realized just how… amazingly beautiful Noctis looked right then.

If Noctis was aware of the thoughts going through Prompto’s head, he didn’t show it, as he tilted his head slightly to the side, black bangs framing his glowing eyes. “…What’s wrong?” he asked slowly, voice almost a whisper.

Prompto almost looked away, but found he couldn’t. “You…look amazing…” he whispered.

He wasn’t sure if Noctis understood, but the tone might’ve helped, as the raven slowly pushed off from the window and stepped up to the bed again. Shakily, as soon as Noctis was close enough, Prompto practically lunged up, unable to help himself, and pulled his boyfriend in for a searing kiss.

The sudden kiss, normally, would’ve made Noct tense… but for once he gave a deep, throaty moan as he settled on his knees on the bed, resting his hands on Prompto’s shoulders. The smaller male shivered lightly, before moaning as well, keeping Noctis close to him.

Noct’s mouth slipped open them as he began to lick at Prompto’s lips, urging him to open his mouth. Prompto complied very willingly, parting his lips and allowing Noctis entry with a moan.

As their tongues mingled with deep moans, Noctis gently pushed against Prompto’s shoulders, moving him to lay down again without breaking their lip lock.

The blonde shivered lightly at how Noctis was taking control. In the back of his mind, he thought, ‘ _How does he know what he’s doing here…?_ ’ But the thought was quickly dismissed when he felt himself becoming hard.

Noctis briefly pulled away from the kiss, only to begin kissing a trail down Prompto’s cheeks to his neck, moaning as he licked and sucked on the exposed skin. And at the same time, his hands began to slide along the blonde’s bare arms. Prompto whimpered and moaned at the teasing and caressing touches, wanting more.

Moaning from the back of his throat, one of Noct’s hands slipped down his sides, toward his front as he breathed out against the heated skin. “Love you, Prom…”

“Love you, too, Noct,” Prompto moaned out, shuddering.

And then, Noct’s hand pushed down against Prompto’s crotch, as his teeth closed softly around his pulse.

The blonde choked on a pleasured cry at the touch and soft bite, and he dug his fingers into the sheets to have a grip on _something_.

“Prom…” Noctis murmured softly as he pulled away. Before Prompto could respond, though, Noctis reached for his shoulder and shook him slightly. “Prom… Prom, wake up!”

“Huh…?” Prompto uttered, opening his eyes again.

When he did, it was a lot brighter than he recalled it having been moments ago, and when he looked up, he quickly spotted Noct sitting over him, a worried expression on his face. “You okay…? Sounded like… in pain…” the raven said, clearly worried for his blonde boyfriend.

“Ah, um, I’m fine, I promise,” Prompto said, before he started to sit up, but then stiffened when he realized he was hard. And this time it was VERY real. “I’ll be right back, Noct. Gotta use the bathroom,” he told the raven quickly, before slipping out of bed and hurrying to his bathroom.

“Prom…?” Noctis asked in worry, before the door almost slammed shut, making the raven flinch at the sound. ‘ _What’s wrong…? Did he… have a bad dream…?_ ’ he wondered to himself as he moved to the edge of the bed quietly to wait for Prompto.

 

Once in the bathroom, Prompto was unable to calm down. There was only two ways out this time: masturbate or a cold shower. And he KNEW Noctis would hear the former, whereas the latter would be easier to explain.

Shakily, he undressed completely, before cranking on the cold water for a shower to get rid of his aching hard on. He very nearly yelped at the cold when he got in, before turning up the temperature just a bit so he wouldn’t get hypothermia with a damn boner. Once the water wasn’t freezing him, Prompto waited, trying to wait until his aching cock calmed down, but that didn’t seem to happen at all. In fact, the damned thing was being incredibly stubborn.

“Fuck it,” he hissed, and turned up the water to a comfortable heat before beginning to jerk himself off to thoughts of his poor, confused, sexy boyfriend out in the bedroom.

Finally, he managed to get his release, whimpering out Noctis’ name in the process. Once he’d rinsed the cum down the drain, he turned off the water and stepped out, pissed at himself for letting a stupid wet dream get to him so badly. When he had finally dried off, he redressed in his clothes before stepping out to meet Noctis.

Once he stepped out, Noctis looked up from where he had been looking at the ground, his gaze worried. “You okay?” he asked finally.

“Yeah, sorry, I had to use the bathroom and felt gross, so I showered afterward,” Prompto lied easily. “Sorry I worried you, Noct…”

“…kay…” Noctis murmured, clearly a little more at ease. “Bad dream?” he asked as Prompto walked over again.

“Yeah,” Prompto fibbed, though the dream was more disappointing than bad. He wanted Noctis in that way, but he didn’t want to scare the raven.

Noctis nodded softly, breathing a little easier. “Okay… want talk?”

“Eh, it probably won’t make much sense, unfortunately… didn’t make much sense to _me._ I just know it scared me,” Prompto lied, hating himself for doing so.

“…Okay…” Noct murmured, though it was obvious he was still worried about Prompto.

“I’m okay, Noct. Promise,” the blonde assured him, sitting with him on the bed and leaning against him lightly.

Though Noctis blinked at the sudden move, he didn’t complain and only tilted his head to rest it against Prompto’s. After a moment, though, he murmured: “Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Prompto whispered, sighing contently.

 

“What that?” Noctis asked as he pointed out to the power plant on the other side of the fence they were currently standing in front of.

“The power plant,” Prompto told him. “It powers the city so it stays lit in the dark and at night.”

“Power plant…?” Noctis repeated slowly as he turned to the building again. “So big…” he murmured softly.

“It’s massive, I know,” Prompto chuckled. “Wanna get some lunch? I know some places around here with some good food.”

Noctis nodded briefly, before he turned to walk after Prompto.

As they walked, Prompto took Noctis’ hand in his own, and the pair walked together to the marketplace, where the hustle and bustle had, surprisingly, quieted down for a bit.

“This way,” Prompto smiled, and led Noctis to a set of tables and chairs where they could eat once they got some food. “Wait here. I know you’re gonna like this.” With that said, the smaller male had Noctis sit at one of the tables before going to a food cart. Not even five minutes passed before Prompto returned, an eager grin on his face. “Here you go,” he smiled brightly, placing a plate in front of the raven.

Noct tilted his head as he lifted up the small stick with the pieces of meat and vegetables speared on them, turning it around curiously. Smiling, Prompto got Noctis’ attention, and then bit off one of the pieces of meat from the kebab he had.

After watching Prompto for a few moments, Noctis brought up his own and took a careful bite off of the kebab (after blowing on it to cool it a bit).

“Well?” Prompto asked with a smirk as he watched the raven.

After swallowing, Noct nodded and quipped: “Good,” before he took some more bites from the kebab.

Prompto chuckled, before taking a few bites more of his own.

 

As they finished their lunch, Noct licked the sauce from his fingers, before he said: “Was good.”

Prompto grinned brightly. “Told ya you’d like it.”

Noctis nodded his head briefly, before he reached for his drink and downed it in one go.

The smaller male then began to get up once he’d finished his drink, and smiled at Noctis. “Is there anything that caught your eye around here?” he asked.

Noctis thought for a moment before he seemed to remember something. “Can go to the market?”

“Sure, Noct,” Prompto smiled warmly.

Noctis smiled as they stood up and headed for the market. And as they went, Prompto still held Noctis’ hand, a content smile on his face. When they reached the market, the blonde looked at his boyfriend. “Where did you want to go here?”

Noctis took a few moments to look around, frowning in question. Eventually, though, he smiled and began to walk, tugging Prompto after him. The smaller male chuckled as he followed after, wondering just what the raven was leading him to.

Finally, Noctis stopped in front of a small stall that sold all kinds of little trinkets such as statues, decorative beads and even some jewelry. After a moment of glancing around the items, Noctis reached out and picked up a small statuette. When he held it out for Prompto to see, the blonde could see it was some form of fox/cat creature, dyed in light green, with a single red gem placed upon its forehead and two onyxes serving as its large eyes.

“I think it’s cute,” Prompto smiled. “Do you want it?”

The raven smiled back and nodded quietly.

“Okay,” Prompto nodded, and pulled out his wallet before buying the statue. “It’s all yours, Noct,” he said, handing the statue to him.

Noctis laughed softly as he held the statue carefully between his fingers, before he moved in quickly and briefly pecked Prompto on his lips.

The blonde smiled brightly, before taking Noctis’ free hand. “What else did you see?”

Noctis shrugged his shoulders absently. “Nothing… want walk around? Looking?”

“Hmm…” Prompto hummed thoughtfully. “Ah, I know! Here, come on,” he grinned.

Noctis blinked as he walked after Prompto, unsure if he liked that look on his face.

When they got to the street where Cindy had dropped them off earlier, Prompto led Noctis over to the Chocobo Rental spot, and pulled out his wallet again. “You’re gonna love this,” he grinned at his boyfriend as he paid for three days of rental for the two of them. Once he had, a small whistle was dropped out of the machine, and the blonde took it and placed the item to his lips before blowing, calling over two Chocobos.

Noctis almost leaped back with a cry, until he realized what had happened and he stared in slight awe as the large birds stopped beside them.

“They’re called Chocobos, Noct,” Prompto told the raven, petting his bird’s neck happily.

“Cho…co…bo…?” Noctis said slowly, regarding the large birds with a hint of caution in his gaze.

“Yep. They’re really nice, and love to give people rides,” Prompto nodded.

Noctis remembered the large birds from when he brought Iris to meet Prompto, but now that they were right in front of him, he wasn’t so sure if it was a good idea to be near them. They seemed a lot more dangerous than the seahorses back home now that they were so close to him.

Noticing Noctis’ nervous expression, Prompto gained his attention before climbing into the saddle of one of the Chocobos. “You can ride them, see?”

“…” Noctis remained where he was for a moment more, though, watching the other Chocobo with a hint of trepidation.

“Kweh~” the Chocobo chirped, watching him calmly.

“Come on, Noct! They don’t bite,” the blonde urged.

For a long moment, the ex-Mer watched the Chocobo cautiously, before he slowly approached, keeping a careful eye on the bird.

“You can pet him, Noct. Just pet his neck,” Prompto soothed.

Looking back to Prompto for a moment, Noctis then looked to the Chocobo and, slowly, reached for the neck and moved his fingers along the feathers, almost jumping at how soft they were. The Chocobo chirped happily at the touch, closing his eyes happily.

As Noctis slowly moved his hand along the neck, making sure not to go against the feathers, he said as he looked to Prompto: “Soft!”

“I know, right?” Prompto smiled. “Now, think you can get into his saddle?”

Noctis looked toward the saddle for a moment, a little unsure, before he stepped up to the bird. He tried to remember how Prompto had gotten on, but he can’t for the life of him remember how he’s supposed to do this.

“It’s okay,” Prompto assured him, before dismounting. “Climb on like this,” he instructed, and showed Noctis how to place his foot so he could pull himself on.

Despite the guidance, though, Noctis remained a little unsure still, as he reached out, placing his hands on the saddle, but he didn’t dare to pull himself up just yet.

“And now, just pull yourself up,” Prompto urged. “I’ll help you if you want.”

Noctis swallowed heavily, before he curled his fingers around the saddle and pulled himself up. As Noctis pulled himself up, Prompto helped the taller male into the saddle by pushing him up.

With Prompto’s help, Noctis managed to set himself down on the saddle, and once he was up there, the raven was finally able to breathe a little easier.

“Better?” Prompto asked as he climbed back into his own Chocobo’s saddle.

“Y-yeah…”

“Wait until they start to run,” Prompto laughed, and then urged his Chocobo onward, starting at a walk to ease Noctis into it.

Noctis wasn’t sure he wanted to know, before he looked at the Chocobo he was on. After taking hold of the reins, he lightly tapped his heels along the bird’s side, which made the bird follow after Prompto calmly. The walking wasn’t too bad, but the almost constant motion felt really weird. It was so much different from riding a seahorse back home, which would just propel you forward through the water. The Chocobo, however, was in constant motion and Noctis wasn’t too sure he if he liked it or not…

“Nice, huh?” Prompto asked, looking back with a smile. “Are you ready for them to go faster?”

“F…faster?”

“Yeah. We’ll go at a run, but I want you to be ready for it, so hold on, okay?” Prompto warned.

“O-okay…”

And with that said, the blonde gave a laugh as he leaned forward and nudged his Chocobo into a run, making Noctis’ follow after with a loud, “Kweh!”

And the sudden speed actually had Noctis yelping in slight alarm, as he held on to both the reigns and the saddle as a wave of panic suddenly gripped his chest. He was used to a little bit of speed on the back of a seahorse, and the speed wasn’t really the issue, but the constant motion damn well was. It actually made him fearful that he was going to fall off at any moment and that was why he curled himself up as best as he could while clinging to the saddle, trying so desperately not to move or make a sound.

Prompto didn’t notice this initially, though, as he led Noctis along a trail to Old Lestallum, laughing joyously. When he looked back and noticed Noct’s position, though, his laughter quickly died down. “You okay back there, Noct?” he called back to the raven.

Noctis tried to say something, but in the end, all he managed to get out was a slight shake of the head.

 “Okay, we’ll slow down,” the smaller male said, before slowing down, and having his Chocobo go over to Noctis’ so he could make speak to him properly. “Sorry, Noct…” he apologized when he saw the raven’s expression.

Noctis was shaking slightly as he tried to breathe properly, not looking up at the blonde, his fingers still curled around the saddle to the point where his knuckles were turning white..

“Noct…? I’m really sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you…”

After a few moments, Noctis managed to calm himself down somewhat, and he breathed in heavily, before he exhaled slowly. “It… it’s… o-okay…” he got out slowly.

“Are you okay now? Or do you still need a bit?” Prompto asked softly, putting a hand on the raven’s shoulder.

“I… I’m… okay…”

“Okay. We’ll go at a walk for now, until you’re ready to go at a run, or we can head back. Which would you prefer?”

Noctis thought about his options for a moment, obviously uncertain, before he shook his head. “Don’t… want go… back yet…”

“All right. Again, I’m really sorry, Noct. I love you,” Prompto murmured apologetically, leaning over and kissing his boyfriend’s cheek.

The raven looked over from the corner of his eyes at the kiss, before he nodded softly and looked back down again, his breathing still a little bit uneven.

Prompto watched Noctis for a moment more, obviously worried, before he nodded to himself. “Let’s go back. It’ll take a while to get to Old Lestallum if we go at a walk instead, anyway. We’ll try again tomorrow if you want, kay?”

“…” Noctis didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he raised his head, looking up to the sky as if there was something there that only he could see.

“The daemons will be out if we take too long, and I’m not exposing you to that without my gun, and even then, I’d rather not,” Prompto said firmly, seeming to realize what the raven was thinking.

“…?” At that, Noctis turned to Prompto in question. “Dae…mons…?”

“They’re evil monsters that attack humans at night in the dark,” Prompto explained.

“…oh,” Noctis murmured softly.

“It’s okay, I promise. Let’s head back for the day, and we can try again tomorrow,” the blonde soothed with a smile.

“…kay…”

With that said, Prompto lightly nudged his Chocobo into a walk, and the pair headed back.

 

Since they were going at a walk, it took them a little longer to get there, but they arrived back into Lestallum right before the daemons were to come out.

“Aww, thanks, buddy,” Prompto smiled at his Chocobo, patting her neck once he’d dismounted. He then went over to Noctis, helping him dismount, since the raven was clearly struggling with getting out. As he stood on his own feet again, he stumbled a bit and Prompto grabbed him by his shoulders to keep him upright. “I think we should head home with some dinner, and then get some sleep. What say you?”

“…” Noctis didn’t look up, but he nodded quietly in silent agreement.

“…Are you mad at me, Noct?” the blonde asked softly, noticing Noctis’ quiet demeanor.

Noctis shook his head.

“Then what are you thinking about?”

“……”

The smaller male sighed heavily, feeling guilty. He hadn’t intended to scare Noctis, but it seemed like he’d pretty much traumatized him with the Chocobos, which certainly hadn’t been his intention. He’d been sure the Mer-turned-human would’ve liked it, but instead he ended up what Prompto believed to be scared speechless. And absently, he hoped he hadn’t just ruined everything…

Noctis didn’t say anything at all as he followed after Prompto, back to the blonde’s house, keeping his gaze on the ground as they went.

Prompto led Noctis back to his home, deciding to have dinner delivered… should they even eat in their current state. Eventually, they arrived back at his house, and once inside, Prompto looked at Noctis with a guilty look.

“I’m sorry…”

Noctis slowly looked up, regarding the blonde, before he dropped his gaze again. “I… s… sorry…”

“Wha…? What are _you_ sorry for?” the blonde frowned, puzzled.

“Don’t… don’t want to… waste time… but… I… I’m…”

“Noct…” Prompto murmured, before pulling his boyfriend into a firm yet comforting hug. “I promise, going to Old Lestallum isn’t a big deal. You’re not wasting time, okay? I know you’re on a time limit, but we’re making the most of it, despite what you think. It wasn’t a waste of time turning back, I swear.”

Noctis tensed a little, his breath hitching for a moment, before he slowly relaxed and he placed his arms around Prompto’s waist, resting his head on Prompto’s shoulder.

Prompto hummed contently as he held Noctis close. “Even when your time’s up…we’ll work it out somehow. I know we will,” he promised.

“…how?” Noctis breathed softly.

“I’m not sure yet, but I know we will. I still want to be with you, even when you have to go back. Still not sure how it’ll work, but something has to make it possible. There has to be.”

Noctis didn’t respond to those words, but his arms held vast to the blonde. He wanted to believe that. He really did… but he wasn’t so sure if they could make it work like Prompto obviously thought. But he didn’t mention this… he didn’t want to ruin everything. He’d already caused enough of damage today with the Chocobo riding…

“…love you…” he whispered after a moment of silence.

“I love you, too,” Prompto smiled back softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know Noctis was never actually AFRAID of Chocobos, but in this case he's a Mer, and there's less of a problem with falling in the water, and even if you fall, it would definitely not hurt as much as it would on land. And that's why Noct is as afraid of it here as he is.


	13. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fear is a nasty feeling to be experiencing... for anyone.

The next morning, Prompto woke up earlier than usual, thanks to the alarm on his phone. As soon as it went off, he turned off the alarm so as not to wake Noctis too rudely. The blonde yawned widely as he sat up, stretching until his joints popped, and then looked at his sleeping boyfriend.

“Noct, time to get up,” he murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking him gently.

Noctis groaned as he buried his face in the pillow, obviously unwilling to get up as early as he had to.

“Sorry, but we need to get an early start. I promise, I’ll make it up to you, and we can stay in all day either tomorrow or the day after,” Prompto promised, kissing Noctis’ cheek.

Noct peeked out through one eye, still half asleep, before he groaned and reached for his eyes and rubbed at them. “Why early…?” he groaned out.

“It’s a surprise, but I’m sure you’ll like it,” the smaller male smiled.

“…” Noct obviously wasn’t any more convinced than he had been, but he sighed and pushed up slowly, sitting up on his knees and rubbing at his eyes, still.

“Thank you,” Prompto whispered, kissing his cheek again. “Want to get some breakfast before we go? Or when we get there? It won’t be a long drive.”

The raven glanced at Prompto for a moment, before he shrugged, to show he didn’t really care.

“All right. We’ll eat when we get there. They have good food where we’re going,” Prompto told him, hugging him briefly before sliding out of bed. He began to get dressed, definitely eager to show Noctis their destination for the day.

Noctis slipped out of the bed slowly, and after picking up his clothes, he moved to the bathroom, to splash his face with water as he did whenever he had to wake up early. Once he was dressed and a little more awake, he joined Prompto at the door.

“Ready to go, Noct?” Prompto asked with a warm smile, taking the raven’s hand in his.

Noctis nodded quietly, quickly smothering a yawn with his fist.

“Then let’s go,” the blonde chuckled, and then they left, Prompto locking the door behind them before leading his sleepy boyfriend to the street where he hailed a cab for them. When it pulled up, he looked at Noctis, before helping him into the backseat and climbing in after him. Once inside, Prompto told the driver: “Wiz Chocobo Post, please!”

The driver nodded, and then they were off.

As he realized fully what Prompto had just said, Noctis actually tensed in a combination of alarm and surprise, before he looked at his boyfriend cautiously.

“It’s okay, Noct,” Prompto soothed. “Wiz is really nice, and he’ll help us with this, okay?”

Naturally, the Mer looked less than excited about the trip now, even if he did nod his head slowly.

 

When they got there, Prompto helped his boyfriend out after paying the driver and led Noctis over to the older man standing by the pens. “Hi, Wiz!” he called, waving with the hand that wasn’t holding Noctis’.

The elderly man looked up curiously at the call from where he’d been feeding the Chocobos, before he laughed as he turned fully. “Well hello there, Prompto,” he greeted as the couple walked over. “How have you been, then?”

“I’ve been great, Wiz. I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Noctis,” the blonde grinned, casting Noctis a reassuring look.

“Boyfriend, eh?” the man chuckled lightly as he turned to Noctis. “Nice to meet you, Noctis. I’m Wiz.”

“N…nice to meet you…” Noctis murmured.

“How was the hatching season? Any new chicks?” Prompto asked after smiling softly at the raven and lightly squeezing his hand.

Wiz laughed at the question before he allowed a smile. “Oh yeah, we got quite a lively bunch this time. Might have our hands full there.”

“Mind if we see ‘em?” Prompto asked eagerly, nearly bouncing in place as his eyes became wide and shone with his excitement. Pausing, he looked at Noctis. “Wiz here helps to raise the Chocochicks once they hatch and makes sure they get socialized enough to be ridden as adults without problems.”

Noct wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that. He could tell Prompto was excited about these ‘chicks’, but he couldn’t help but remain anxious regardless. So in the end he just nodded his head.

“You’re gonna love them. They’re adorable,” Prompto promised as he started to follow Wiz to where the Chocochicks were.

This didn’t seem to convince Noct, though he kept up the pace with Prompto. His fingers curled firmly around the blonde’s hand as he tried to not start breathing too fast, because he’d figured out quickly enough that that would make his head spin. In response to that, Prompto gave his boyfriend’s hand a light squeeze as they walked, wordlessly reassuring him that it would be okay. Once they reached the pens with the Chocochicks, Prompto grinned as Wiz stepped aside to reveal them to the pair.

“Awww, they’re as cute as ever this year!” Prompto practically squealed, watching the little yellow chicks as they toddled around inside the pen.

Noct looked at Prompto in slight surprise at the near squeal, having never heard Prompto make such a sound before, before he turned to the pen as well. He wasn’t entirely sure what to think of the small creatures, but, okay, yeah, he supposed they were… ‘cute’. In a way…

That didn’t take away his anxiety in full, though.

Wiz noticed as Noctis remained close by Prompto, watching the Chocochicks. “Never seen a chick before, have ya, boy?” he asked with a chuckle, making Noctis look over curiously.

“No, this is a first for him,” Prompto informed Wiz, before lightly tugging his boyfriend over to the pen and opening it so they could get in. “Come on, Noct. They’re young, so they won’t bite or anything,” he smiled softly.

The raven had no choice but to stumble after, much to the amusement of Wiz as he closed the fence behind them. Once in the pen, Noctis bit his lip as he looked around at the Chocochicks as they chirped while toddling around their feet. Being this close to them made them seem much more real than he had initially believed them to be, and it made his anxiety spike , though he did his best to keep it hidden from Prompto. He didn’t need Noct’s fears getting in the way of his own enjoyment.

“Hey there,” Prompto cooed at the chicks, bending down so he was almost squatting, gaining their attention.

“Kwih kwih!” the chicks chirped as they started to crowd around Prompto.

Noct didn’t follow Prompto’s example just yet, remaining standing silently. Noticing this, the blonde looked up at Noctis curiously. “They’re babies, Noct, so they won’t bite or anything,” he said with a small smile.

Noct, however, didn’t move, even as a few of the chicks began to waddle around him.

“Noct…” Prompto murmured, before picking up a Chocochick and bringing it over to Noctis. “Here, go ahead and pet it.”

Noct _almost_ backpedaled when the chick was held out to him, but he managed to keep himself standing. He did, however, look to the small bird cautiously, and Prompto could still see a hint of fear in the raven’s eyes.

“Noct… it won’t hurt you. Trust me, please?” Prompto pleaded softly, meeting the raven’s gaze.

It looked like Noct was about to say something, but whatever it was, he bit it down as he looked to the chick, which was watching him curiously in turn. When it gave a cheery “Kwih!” Noct slowly raised a hand, reaching for the little bird’s head. However, it was easy to see his fingers were trembling.

“Take a deep breath, Noct. Just one,” the blonde urged softly, knowing Noctis would get dizzy if he tried to breathe deeply too much.

After taking a breath, Noct slowly reached out completely to lightly pet the chick, which chirped happily at the attention.

“They’re so sweet, especially when they’re this young,” Prompto chuckled as he watched.

“O-oh…” It was all Noct was able to get out as he lightly petted the chick, which crooned contently as it settled in Prompto’s hands.

“…Do you want to hold it?” the smaller male offered, looking at his boyfriend with a smile.

“Uuuhh…”

“It’ll be fine, I promise,” Prompto soothed, before positioning Noctis’ hands to hold the Chocochick and gently placing the small bird in his hands. “Be careful not to drop it, okay?”

As the chick chirped in Noct’s hands, the raven bit his lip to keep himself from making a noise. He knew it was silly to be afraid of something so small; how could it possibly hurt him, after all? And yet his body was shaking subtly, even though the chick wasn’t even moving or even making much noise, aside from its head tilting curiously and the occasional chirp.

‘ _It’s okay… it’s okay… it… it’s not going to hurt you… it’s okay…_ ’ he kept telling himself.

“You’re doing really good, Noct,” Prompto murmured, giving his boyfriend a reassuring smile.

Noct opened his mouth to speak, but…

“KWIH”

The raven yowled instinctively as he pulled his hands away almost immediately when the chick chirped that loudly.

“Ah!” Prompto yelped, and then caught the chick before it could hit the ground. Straightening up, he looked at Noctis with a sympathetic look. “You okay? I didn’t think it would have that loud of a voice,” he said, before setting the chick on the ground again.

“I-I’m… I’m okay…” Noctis got out amidst quiet gasps, even though he was clearly trying to calm his breathing down.

Wiz noticed, of course, and he frowned before calling out: “Prompto, might want to get him out of there for a bit.”

“Okay,” Prompto nodded, and gently guided Noctis out of the pen.

The raven didn’t look at his boyfriend as he was led out of the pen, keeping his gaze on the ground instead.

“It’s not your fault, Noct. Neither of us expected the chick to chirp that loudly,” the smaller male soothed, rubbing his back to calm him down.

“…”

As Wiz closed the fence behind them, he asked: “Want me to fetch ‘im something to drink for his nerves, Prompto?”

“Probably a good idea, Wiz, thank you,” Prompto murmured, sticking close to the raven.

Wiz nodded as he headed off to do as he’d just offered. Once he was out of sight, though…

“…s…sorry…”

“Noct, don’t be sorry, okay? You can’t help it, and we’re here to help you get better with the Chocobos,” the blonde comforted his boyfriend. “I promise, it’s okay.”

“But…”

“No buts. You take all the time you need to adjust, okay? That’s why we left early.”

Noctis didn’t say anything else as Prompto guided him to sit down at a table, still rubbing his back soothingly. When Wiz returned, it was with a cup of steaming liquid. “Here ya go, boy,” Wiz said as he held it out. “Careful; it’s hot.”

Recognizing the last phrase by now, Noctis reached out and carefully took over the cup from Wiz. “Thank you…”

“Thank you, Wiz. We went Chocobo riding yesterday, with it being Noctis’ first time, but I had us start running on them too soon, and scared him…” Prompto explained, hanging his head in shame.

“Aah, I see,” Wiz murmured, regarding Noctis as the raven blew off the steam from his drink before taking slow sips from the liquid.

It was pretty clear from the way he was sitting there that he was afraid, even if the boy wouldn’t admit to it himself. His hands were wrapped securely around the cup he’d been given and he was actively trying to make himself appear as small as possible, as if this would somehow keep him safe from the world around him. Wiz had seen plenty of people (though mostly kids) who were afraid of Chocobos for one reason or another, and they had all shown similar signs as Noctis was just then. And while most others had grown out of it fairly quickly, sometimes it took years to get them over it. Wiz hoped Noct wouldn’t be one of those cases, though, since he knew how much Prompto loved Chocobos. It’d be a pity if Prompto had to curb his love for them just to make sure his boyfriend wouldn’t feel left out.

After a moment of thought, humming, Wiz allowed a small smile. “Well, if he feels up to it, I could probably give him a few lessons.”

Noctis blinked curiously at those words. He understood most of the sentence, but he didn’t get the last part too well.

“That’d really help, I think,” Prompto smiled. “Thanks, Wiz. You’re the best.”

“No prob, kiddo. I’ll go get one of the quieter Chocobos ready for him. Meet me at the training grounds when you’re both ready, a’ight?”

“Sounds good. We’ll be there in a bit,” the blonde nodded, and once Wiz had left, Prompto looked at Noctis. “Wiz is gonna help us with your fear, okay?”

“O… okay…?” Noctis murmured, sounding less than sure about it.

“Trust me, Wiz is an expert, and knows what he’s doing. I’ll be with you the whole time, I swear.”

Noctis slowly nodded  his head in response, but his expression didn’t change much. The smaller male merely rubbed Noctis’ back soothingly, leaning his head against the raven’s shoulder. Despite his own words, though, he couldn’t help but worry…

 

After Noctis had finished his drink and they’d gotten something quick to eat, Prompto led his boyfriend over to the training grounds, where Wiz was waiting for them.

As they arrived, Wiz was patting the neck of a pale white Chocobo, who seemed a bit on the sleepy side. Once he spotted them, he smiled and nodded his head. “Ah, there you are. Good.”

“Just needed a bit of mental preparation, is all,” the blonde explained, lightly squeezing Noctis’ hand.

“Yes, I can only imagine,” Wiz murmured, “Come on; let’s get you set up, shall we.”

“Come on, Noct,” Prompto urged softly, guiding the raven over to Wiz.

Noctis bit down on his lip, but he quietly walked along with Prompto toward where Wiz was standing.

“Alright, now before we start,” Wiz said gently as he passed the raven a helmet. “Put this one on.”

“…?” Noctis warily took the item and regarded it for a moment, unsure.

“It’s a helmet, Noct. It protects your head from getting hurt if you were to fall off, which is unlikely with Wiz here,” Prompto explained.

Noctis looked over to Prompto, before he turned back to the helmet and, after a moment of hesitation, slipped it on his head.

“Right. Can you help him secure it, Prompt?”

“Sure,” Prompto nodded, and took the little clasp for the helmet and adjusted it properly before clicking it together, securing the helmet in place. “There we go.”

Even as the helmet was clicked shut, Noctis remained looking unsure, especially as Wiz gestured for him to get over to the Chocobo’s side.

“Don’t worry, kid,” Wiz assured, rubbing the Chocobo’s neck. “Lizzy’s really gentle. She’s perfect for your lessons.”

“…” Noctis didn’t say anything, as he regarded the large bird cautiously, still. The Chocobo was watching back lazily, and didn’t seem at all impressed.

“Do you want to pet her first?” Prompto offered.

“…”

“Trust us, Noct. We won’t let anything bad happen, okay?” the smaller male murmured, kissing Noctis’ cheek.

Despite the reassurance, though, Noctis was less than thrilled as Lizzy yawned lazily.

“I’ve ridden Lizzy before when I first started riding, Noct. She’s the perfect Chocobo for you for lessons,” Prompto told him, before lightly tugging his boyfriend closer.

Noctis still didn’t seem convinced, but he allowed Prompto to help him climb on the Chocobo’s back and into the saddle. Once he was seated, Wiz attached a long rope to the bit of the reins. “Right, Prompto, you mind sticking with him?”

“Not at all,” the blonde smiled, staying enough away that he wouldn’t get his feet stepped on, but close enough to keep Noctis calm.

“Right, just relax, a’ight?” Wiz told Noctis. “I’m just going to have you walk in circles.” He gave Noct a moment to take that in, before he asked: “Ready?”

Noctis bit his lip, before he slowly nodded his head.

Once they started moving, Prompto stuck close, keeping Lizzy’s feet in mind so he didn’t get his own stepped on as they walked.

Wiz wasn’t kidding; Lizzy was very gentle. In fact, she seemed to move even slower at a walk than the one Noct had ridden previously. This made it easier for Noctis to handle the whole thing, and he managed to relax somewhat, even though he refused to release the saddle.

Prompto noticed this, and smiled up at his boyfriend. “Much better, huh?” he asked Noctis softly.

Noctis only nodded his head softly, trying to keep his breathing as steady as he could. Which wasn’t easy, still.

“Alright, I’m going to make your circle a little bigger,” Wiz called out, letting the rope slip through his fingers and giving Lizzy some more space to walk, even if she just kept walking in a circle.

Prompto looked up at Noctis, giving him a reassuring smile as the circle became a little wider.

Gradually, Noctis relaxed enough that he wasn’t holding the edge of the saddle in a death grip, though he remained less than thrilled about the whole ordeal.

“Okay, get ready, Noctis; we’re going to move to a light trot,” Wiz warned.

“I’ll keep up as best as I can, Noct,” Prompto told him.

Noctis almost – _almost_ – whimpered, but he held it in and nodded his head, his fingers curling around the saddle once again. And once Wiz was sure he was ready, he gave a short whistle.

Lizzy blinked at the sound and then began to walk slightly faster. It wasn’t a full out run, yet, and it was still easy to keep up with on foot, but it was certainly faster than a casual walk. Which had Noctis tensing up as he almost curled in on himself.

Prompto then placed his hand on Noctis’ thigh, since he couldn’t hold his hand, and murmured, “Noct, it’s okay, I promise.”

Noctis didn’t answer, but he _was_ now clenching his eyes shut firmly, struggling to not breathe too hard. Thankfully, though, Wiz noticed this and called out a firm “Whoa!” which made Lizzy slow down to a stop entirely.

Prompto stopped in time with Lizzy, looking up at Noctis worriedly. Seeing his expression and how scared he was, he felt incredibly guilty. “Noct…we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to…” he murmured.

There was no immediate response from the raven as he tried to speak, but the words just wouldn’t come out properly.

“It’s fine, I swear. I don’t want to push you into doing something that scares you,” Prompto insisted.

As Noct struggled to keep his breathing as even as possible, Wiz watched the whole thing for a moment, before he hummed. “I think that’s enough for now. We can continue later if he still feels up to it.”

“That’s fine. Thanks anyway, Wiz,” Prompto thanked the older man, before helping Noctis off of Lizzy’s back.

The blonde could actually feel Noctis trembling as he finally set foot on solid ground again, and the raven refused to meet Prompto’s gaze at all. Nor did he say anything as he just stood there, his hands along Prompto’s upper arms.

“I…I’m sorry, Noct… I really am…” the blonde whispered, the guilt in him increasing.

Noctis didn’t even respond to the words, though he clung to Prompto’s arms with almost enough force to leave bruises.

“I’ll get Lizzy back to her pen,” Wiz said as he walked over, gently rubbing Lizzy’s neck, who was looking at Noct in silent question. “You just go ahead and take it easy, okay?’

“We will, Wiz. I think we’re actually gonna head back to Lestallum, but we’ll stop by again sometime,” Prompto said. Once Wiz had left with Lizzy, the blonde returned his attention to his boyfriend, pulling him close. “I know you want to make the most of your time here, Noct, but please, _please_ don’t feel bad because of this. It’s my fault you got scared in the first place…”

“…” Noctis didn’t say anything, but he did wrap his arms around Prompto’s waist, resting his head on the blonde’s shoulder and just breathing in deeply.

Remembering how scared Noctis had become, all because Prompto had assumed Noctis would be okay with riding at a fast pace on the Chocobos too soon, the blonde couldn’t stop the wave of guilt that filled him to the core. The smaller male squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to cry out of said guilt.

“…I’m… s-sorry…” Noctis mumbled out softly. “I… I don’t… I…”

“Don’t be sorry,” Prompto choked out, cutting him off. “It’s my fault. I…I went too fast…”

Prompto could feel Noct’s mouth moving against his shoulder, briefly, but no further words came out. Instead, the raven remained absolutely silent, his arms remaining curled around Prompto.

The blonde whimpered, whispering “I’m so sorry” repeatedly as he continued to hug Noctis.

Noctis bit his lip, his fingers curling into the fabric of Prompto’s jacket, as his trembling became slightly more pronounced.

“…Let’s take a small nap before we go back to Lestallum, okay? That way we won’t be so tired later…” Prompto suggested softly once he’d managed to calm down a bit. “We can nap in the caravan nearby…”

“…kay…” the taller male managed to get out through labored breathing.

“Noct…please don’t feel bad, please?” the smaller male pleaded quietly, before pulling away to look at Noctis properly.

“…” Noctis didn’t say anything, and it was quite clear that, even though Prompto had just told him not to feel bad, he still did.

Sighing sadly, Prompto led Noctis to the caravan so they could nap for a bit.

Even they were inside the caravan, Noctis didn’t speak or look up at his boyfriend, though his trembling had, thankfully, stopped.

“Noct…” Prompto murmured, before pulling the raven in for a chaste kiss. “I love you.”

For a moment, the raven looked like he was going to flinch away, but in the end, all he did was rest his forehead to Prompto’s. He didn’t speak for a long time, but eventually he did mouth “Love you” without a single sound leaving his throat.

“…Let’s get some sleep,” the blonde said softly, sitting on the bed.

And Noctis followed shortly after, still refusing to make eye contact. Prompto felt guilt wash over him again, even as he pulled Noctis close after lying down on the small bed, hoping the raven wouldn’t feel so bad after some sleep.

 

Any other day, Noct would’ve had no issues falling asleep. But at that specific moment, sleep was eluding him, keeping him awake even though he knew he should be resting and getting rid of the anxiety filling him. Sadly, his body had other plans, and even when he could _feel_ Prompto’s body relaxing against his back to the point where he was clearly asleep, he found he just couldn’t get to sleep.

He took a heavy breath, held it, and then let it out slowly. He knew he was being a coward, knew that his fears were (likely) completely unfounded.

Unfortunately, the fear was _very_ real, and he couldn’t just dismiss it so easily.

“…”

After what felt like an hour of lying in the bed, unmoving and silent, Noctis slowly pushed up from the bed, and then, without so much as a peek, slipped out from his boyfriend’s hold. Once he’d slipped into his shoes, Noctis regarded Prompto for a moment, contemplating, before he turned around… and then walked out the door, shutting it lightly behind him.


	14. Breakthrough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to make some progress.

Noctis walked along the slightly muddy path, taking deep, even breaths. He knew it was a bad idea to be out without Prompto, not because it wasn’t safe, but because he’d just worry him. However, Noctis had a purpose to do, and he was going to see it done.

It took him only a few minutes to make his way to the dirt path that led to the Chocobo pens, and as he passed them one by one, he actually hesitated as the large birds watched him. Instead, he merely put some distance between himself and the Chocobos, for the moment. After only a little bit, he found who he was looking for.

“…Lizzy…?” he called out softly.

The white Chocobo looked up from where she had been preening her plumage, curious about who was calling her, before she spotted Noct. Once she recognized him, she chirped and walked over to where he stood by the edge of her pen. And when she stopped there, Noct _almost_ backed away, but he forced himself to stay where he was, and lifted a shaky hand toward the Chocobo.

And Lizzy, as if sensing his underlying fear, chirped as she ducked her head, allowing him to pet her. And, after a moment of hesitation, he did just that. His fingers still trembled subtly, but Lizzy cooed softly in response to his touches, and this calmed him down somewhat.

//…I wish I wasn’t so afraid of you… or your siblings…// he murmured, switching back to his native tongue on instinct. He was alone anyway, so what did it matter. //I don’t even know _why_ I’m so afraid… just that I am…//

Lizzy, oddly enough, chirped in response to the words, and Noctis cocked his head.

//Do you understand me…? …no, that’s just silly. Of course not…//

“ _Kweh~_ ”

And now Noctis openly stared as Lizzy raised her head slightly and bumped her beak lightly to his chest.

//…You can…? …If you do understand, can you walk back and turn in a circle?//

Lizzy chirped, stepped back, and then turned in a full circle, and then looked expectantly at Noctis.

//…you _can_ understand me…// he breathed in awe, and Lizzy chirped as she came back over. //I… didn’t expect that…// he admitted as he reached over and gently ran his hand along her neck, making her croon happily. He smiled at the response, before he murmured: //It’s not bad, though…//

“Kweh.”

He smiled at the simple sound, before he sighed. //I wish I could just… stop being so afraid…//

“Kweeh…”

A soft sigh escaped Noctis then as he rubbed his hand along Lizzy’s beak. //I’m such a coward…// he murmured.

“Kweh.”

Noctis remained there for the longest time, just petting Lizzy, before he took a heavy breath. What he was about to do was probably a _bad_ idea, in fact it was probably the _worst_ idea he’d ever had to date… but he was prepared to do what he had to.

//Lizzy… will you help me with something?//

“Kweh?”

 

Figuring out the door to the pen took a little bit, but he managed. Getting Lizzy out was much easier, since she followed after when he asked her to. Instead of going to the training pen again, though, Noctis led her to the forest just outside the outpost. She wasn’t wearing the saddle now, so getting on her back was a little harder than usual, but not undoable.

Lizzy chirped once, and Noctis took a heavy breath, before he nodded and lightly patted her neck. The bird gave one more chirp, and then began to walk.

Noctis almost cried out at the motion, but he held it in and positioned himself a little better, in an attempt to assure he didn’t fall off immediately. Thankfully, Lizzy wasn’t going _too_ fast, so there wasn’t really the fear of falling off (yet), but the terrain was only making adding to the difficulty. Not to mention the lack of saddle…

Suddenly Lizzy stopped.

//…? What’s wrong?// Noctis asked as looked around Lizzy’s neck. It didn’t take long for him to spot the problem, though; there’s was a small pit up ahead of them, and while it wasn’t gigantic, getting around would certainly take a little bit. //Oh… that’s what.// He sighed softly, before he considered his options.

This actually reminded him of his first lessons on seahorse riding. While there wasn’t the fear of falling underwater, it was still important to stay away from the undertow, lest you be dragged along it. His father had been there with him the first time, and it’d been a bit scary the first time he went over the undertow, but in the end, it’d actually been a thrill to taunt the undertow.

//…Can we go over it?// he asked slowly.

Lizzy chirped as she turned her head to regard him curiously, almost as if she was asking if he was sure.

//I’m sure,// he said with a nod.

“Kweh.”

The white Chocobo took a few steps back, and once Noctis gave her the okay, she ran for the pit. The sudden motion almost made Noctis cry out, but he bit the sound back as he focused instead on staying balanced on her back. And then Lizzy jumped and the motion made Noct gasp as, for a moment, he felt completely weightless, like he did underwater.

It was over far too soon, though, and when Lizzy came down, the sudden weight made him cry out – as he lost his balance and fell sideways off of Lizzy with a yowl of surprise/pain.

“Kweh?!”

Lizzy immediately came to his side, nudging him gently as he groaned, shakily pushing himself up. His limbs were shaking, and his back stung, though it wasn’t _that_ bad… it was just annoying, really.

“…Kweh?” Lizzy chirped, nudging his shoulder as his body trembled a little further.

However, after a moment, the raven snorted and then he laughed. Lizzy chirped in question, but Noctis shook his head as he climbed back to his feet. //I’m okay… I’ll be okay, I promise. C’mon,// he said softly, moving over to her side again. //Let’s keep going.//

“Kweh~”

 

It was much later that Prompto woke up, and, immediately, he knew something was very wrong. It took his sleepy mind a moment to realize why, though. But as soon as he realized that Noctis wasn’t in his arms, he began to panic.

“Noct?!” the blonde yelped, sitting up quickly. As the blonde looked around the caravan, he quickly noticed that the raven’s shoes weren’t where they had been when they’d gone to bed. “Dammit,” Prompto hissed, before quickly slipping his boots on and hurrying out of the caravan to find his boyfriend.

As Prompto came out from the caravan and looked around, he quickly spotted his boyfriend’s footprints in the mud by the entrance… which led back toward the training grounds.

Upon that realization, the smaller male followed the footprints to the training grounds, frowning in confusion.

 

When he got there, he didn’t actually see his boyfriend anywhere, but the footprints continued along the muddy trail until they hit the path that would eventually lead to the pens. Now more than a little curious, the blonde continued along the trail, wondering what Noctis was up to.

Once Prompto reached the Chocobo pens, he still couldn’t see his boyfriend anywhere. Initially, anyway, because when he passed by what he knew was Lizzy’s pen, he briefly glanced toward the older Chocobo as he walked by, before backpedaling.

It had nothing to do with the fact that Lizzy was curled up and napping quietly, but more so with who was lying against her side, muddy streaks along his face and dirt on his clothes.

“Noct?” Prompto called softly, hoping to wake the raven.

No such luck; Noctis remained fast asleep where he was, breathing light as his head rested along Lizzy’s feathered back, one of his hands in close proximity of Lizzy’s beak, palm up from where he had been petting her before sleep took him.

Smiling softly, Prompto went into Lizzy’s pen, before sitting by Noctis. Placing his hand on the taller male’s knee, he said, “Noct, wake up.”

“…mm…” Noct groaned, turning his head the other way and moving his leg out of the way. As if that would somehow help.

This drew an amused chuckle from the blonde. “Noct… time to wake up,” he said, this time a bit louder as he moved closer.

“Mmm… no wanna…”

“I know, but I want to tell you how proud I am,” Prompto chuckled.

Noctis groaned in annoyance, eyelids quivering, but again, he didn’t wake.

“Noct… I love you,” the smaller male told him, leaning over and kissing his boyfriend’s cheek.

Noct whined a little, before he lazily blinked his eyes open. “…Prom…?”

“The one and only,” Prompto chuckled, before his expression became worried. “How come you left to try and ride by yourself? You had me worried.”

“…” Noct didn’t say anything, and instead he bit his lip and looked down at his shoes – which were just as covered in mud and dirt as the rest of his clothes.

“You could have told me, but I’m just glad you’re okay. I’m proud of you for being able to get over your fear,” Prompto smiled, hugging his boyfriend.

Noct tensed briefly, before he relaxed and settled in Prompto’s arms. “…I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, Noct,” the blonde soothed. “I love you.”

“…I… I love you…” Noctis echoed softly, resting his forehead against Prompto’s shoulder.

“…How was it, riding Lizzy?” Prompto eventually asked softly.

“…was… I… I don’t know…” Noctis admitted. “Was… different from… from…” And here the raven frowned. “What word…? //Seahorse//,” he said, as he made the general shape of a seahorse in the air.

“From what?” Prompto frowned, puzzled. He then shook his head, dismissing it. “It’s okay. What matters is if you liked it. Did you?”

Noct wasn’t sure how to answer that, somewhat conflicted. Yes, it’d been ‘fun’ to ride on Lizzy and jumping around, feeling weightless and so familiar. But at the same time, it only made him think more and more of home, making him feel nostalgic, and had him wishing wistfully he was home. Yet at the same time, he still wanted to stay here, with Prompto. He was torn; what was it he really wanted here?

In the end, however, he nodded slowly in response to Prompto’s question.

“Good,” Prompto smiled, before noticing Noctis’ conflicting thoughts. “What’s on your mind, Noct?”

“…Nothing…” Noct mumbled. He really didn’t want to talk about his thoughts now. It’d only make Prom feel bad, he knew.

“Noct, you can talk to me. I’m here for you, you know that…” the smaller male pressed.

“…don’t wanna talk about it…” Noct mumbled softly.

“Okay,” Prompto nodded in understanding. “Love you…”

Noctis breathed a little easier when the subject was dropped, before resting his head along Prompto’s shoulder again. “Love you…” he murmured softly.

As they rested there for a bit, Prompto then perked up, before looking at Noctis. “Do you want to go for a ride together?” he asked.

At those words, Noctis looked up in slight surprise, before he frowned in thought.

“We’ll go slow, just in case,” the smaller male added.

“…kay…”

Prompto then smiled, kissing Noctis’ cheek again. “Then let’s get ready.”

Noctis nodded and let Prompto pull him to his feet again, before leaving the pen. Though not before Noct moved back to Lizzy and lightly petted her along her neck.

This made the blonde smile, seeing that Noctis was doing so much better now around Lizzy than he had earlier. Prompto then got his Chocobo ready while Noctis watched, the yellow bird almost dancing in place with excitement to be ridden.

Noctis regarded Prompto for a moment, before he turned toward the other Chocobo that Prompto had rented the day before. The bird was watching him curiously, probably remembering the events from the day before. After taking a deep breath, Noctis reached out and petted the bird’s beak, and the bird cooed happily at the touch.

“Better today, huh?” Prompto asked when he saw Noctis petting what would be his Chocobo for their ride.

After a moment, Noctis nodded, before he stepped up to the Chocobo’s side. The smaller male smiled softly, waiting to see if Noctis would need help before he decided to mount his own Chocobo.

Finally, though, Noct took a deep breath and reached up for the saddle. And then, after sticking his foot in one of the stirrups, he pulled himself up onto the bird’s back.

“Good job,” Prompto praised, before pulling himself into his own Chocobo’s saddle.

“Th…thanks…” Noctis managed to get out as he took a deep breath, before he reached out and took the reins in his hands, curling them around his knuckles.

The blonde then took his own Chocobo’s reins, wrapping the reins around his knuckles, too, before nudging the bird into a walk, leading Noctis’ Chocobo to follow him.

Noct tensed briefly as they went, but after a moment more, he exhaled heavily and managed to relax in the saddle properly.

“We’ll keep it slow until you’re ready, Noct,” Prompto called back to the raven, hearing the heavy exhale.

Noct nodded his head as he followed after Prompto. The Chocobos easily scaled the slightly uneven terrain around the outpost, and while the pace was slow, it wasn’t a bad thing.

Prompto hummed a tune as they went, easily content doing this. Despite his slight desire to ride faster, he wasn’t about to dare push his luck.

When he heard the humming, Noctis blinked and looked over. “…? Prom?”

“Hmhmm?”

“You sing…?”

Prompto blushed at the innocent question, before saying: “Not really. Nothing like you, of course. It’s just something small.”

“What song?” Noctis asked, obviously curious about the tune.

“It’s just a little tune I came up with, is all. Doesn’t even have a name,” the blonde shrugged.

The raven hummed softly in thought. “…How go?”

“Ah…” Prompto’s blush deepened before he decided to give in to his boyfriend’s request. Clearing his throat, the smaller male then hummed his Chocobo riding tune.

And Noctis listened as they continued to ride along, a look of intrigue on his face as he took in every note. Once Prompto had finished humming the tune, he looked back at Noctis, curious.

“…Sounds nice,” Noct said with a small smile.

“It’s something I hum while riding Chocobos,” Prompto admitted with a smile.

Noctis smiled, before he seemed to think for a moment.

“What are you thinking?”

Rather than respond verbally, though, Noctis took a soft breath… and then started to sing. And this nearly made Prompto laugh as he heard Noctis basically recreating his Chocobo riding tune in his own voice. Instead, he ended up chuckling softly.

If Noctis had heard the chuckle, then he didn’t react to it. He just kept singing as the Chocobos continued their leisurely pace along the dirt paths. And Prompto remained quiet for the rest of the song, an amused smile curving his lips.

As Noctis finished, he fell silent, looking around quietly for a moment.

“I didn’t think you’d make your own version of my tune,” Prompto told the raven. “It’s just something I sometimes hum while riding Chocobos.”

Noctis blinked at Prompto, before he smiled again, not saying anything else on the matter.

“What are you smiling like that for?” the blonde asked suspiciously, noticing the smile.

As he asked that, though, Noct’s mouth quirked up into a smirk. “Try keep up!” he quipped – just before he gave his Chocobo a light kick, which immediately made the bird squawk before taking off at a run.

“Wha?! H-hey!” Prompto yelped, before quickly nudging his own Chocobo into a run after Noctis.

Noctis laughed at the call, briefly looking back before he turned back ahead, guiding the large bird off the beaten path to rush into the woods.

Prompto then growled softly. ‘ _I will NOT be beaten!_ ’ he thought determinedly, before yelling, “You’re being a stinker!” as he pushed his Chocobo into going faster.

This only made Noctis laugh again as he ducked under a branch, his Chocobo squawking in excitement as it jumped over a large rock.

A certain thrill and warmth spread through Prompto at the sound of his boyfriend’s laugh, but he wasn’t about to give up. Keeping an eye out ahead for any dangerous creatures, Prompto surged forward on his Chocobo, quickly passing the raven.

“Ah…!” Noctis gasped, before he clicked his tongue, making his own Chocobo rush to catch up.

“Having fun, Noct?” Prompto called with a laugh.

The raven’s only response was a laugh, right before Noctis’ Chocobo suddenly leapt up and passed Prompto with a loud “KWEH!!”

“Oh shit!” Prompto hissed, before his eyes widened in alarm as he saw some daemons ahead of them. “Noct! Stop, come back!” he yelled in a panicked voice.

Noctis didn’t seem to notice the panic lacing Prompto’s voice, as he chuckled while briefly looking back.

As soon as he looked back, however, one of the daemons lunged at him with a snarl, drawing a panicked cry from Prompto as it knocked the ex-Mer off the Chocobo and then pinned him to the ground. Prompto then urged his Chocobo onward, before he pulled his gun out from where he’d hidden it in the back of his pants. Taking quick aim, he fired, the force of the bullet hitting the beast knocking it off of Noctis.

The remaining daemons roared as they tried to lunge for Prompto, but the blonde was able to take enough of them out that they quickly wizened up and ran off. Noctis, however, didn’t move from where he’d been thrown, unconscious.

“Fuck!” Prompto swore as he quickly went to his boyfriend’s side, dismounting before checking him over. When he realized the raven was only scratched up and knocked out, he sighed in slight relief. Scooping up Noctis in his arms, he whistled for the raven’s Chocobo, and then got into his Chocobo’s saddle with Noctis in front of him as he had the yellow bird hurry back to the Chocobo post.

 

Prompto wasn’t sure how much time had passed since they’d returned to the outpost. It could’ve been an hour, maybe two, but however long it had been, the blonde hadn’t moved an inch from where Noctis was resting on the bed, his head wrapped up in bandages. Wiz had helped him to check the other for a potential concussion and any real damage, but he seemed to be fine, aside from the small cut along the back of his skull. This didn’t lessen the blonde’s worry, though…

“I’m so sorry…” he whispered, as guilt began to tear through him. Tears began to form in his eyes as he remembered the attack, and he felt it was his fault for suggesting they go riding in the first place.

While there was no immediate response from Noct; though his mouth slipped open to let out a small, quiet breath. Prompto whimpered at the lack of response, even though he knew he shouldn’t have expected it in the first place, before pressing his lips to Noctis’ softly, hoping that even while unconscious, the raven would feel how sorry the blonde was.

As Prompto moved back, Noctis’ eyebrows scrunched up briefly as he groaned softly, before his eyes slowly slipped open. “…Pr…om…?”

“Noct?!” Prompto gasped, before he whimpered as he gently hugged the raven. “I’m so sorry… You got hurt because of me.”

“…?” Noctis blinked, disoriented, as he tried to move his arm to wrap it around Prompto, but it was more difficult than he remembered it being.

“Take it easy… You got hurt by the daemons out in the forest…” the blonde told him softly.

“…h…hurt…?”

“Yeah…” the smaller male nodded. “It’s all my fault…” This was choked out as Prompto began to cry against Noctis.

“Pr…Prom…” Noct got out slowly, reaching out and trying to properly hug the blonde. “I…it’s o… o-okay… don’t… cry…”

Prompto trembled against Noctis as he cried, unable to help it.

Noctis blinked slowly, as he slipped his arms around Prompto’s shoulders, holding him as well as he could. “Pr…Prom…”

Eventually, Prompto’s crying quieted down to choked sobs, and he held Noctis close. “You got hurt…because of…me…” he whimpered

Before he could say anything else, though, Noctis curled his fingers in Prompto’s jacket and tugged softly. When Prompto had pulled back, Noctis tried to move up to kiss him, but he groaned as he flopped down, shutting his eyes as his head spun.

“Noct… Take it easy, please…” the blonde pleaded softly. “You got knocked out when you were attacked…”

The Mer-turned-human groaned, before his eyes opened slowly, as he then tugged on Prompto’s arms, trying to pull him in. Smiling softly at the tugging, Prompto moved in and kissed Noctis, whispering: “I love you so much…”

Noctis murmured softly, the words sounding a little distorted, but it didn’t take Prom to figure out what he was saying. “Lo… love… you… too…”

Pulling away, Prompto then crawled onto the bed next to Noctis, and pulled him close. “Just rest. I’ll stay with you.”

“…kay…” Noctis murmured softly, shutting his eyes as he rested his head against Prompto’s chest.

Prompto curled around Noctis, sighing in relief as he held him. As they settled there, Noctis let out a sound like a mix of a hum and a purr, sleepily tucking himself into Prompto’s body, exhaling softly against his neck. The unconscious move made the blonde smile softly, unable to resist pressing his lips to the top of Noctis’ head softly.

“…mmmhh….” Noctis’ eyebrows scrunched softly, as he moved closer still against Prompto, until their bodies were pressed tightly together. But as their lower bodies touched, Noct almost flinched as a soft gasp escaped his lips.

“Noct? You okay?” Prompto asked, hearing the gasp and feeling his boyfriend flinch.

However, there was no response from the raven; his eyes remained shut even though his breathing gradually picked up. Before Prompto could try to wake him, though, Noctis shifted his lower body again… and this time Prom _felt_ what was wrong.

Smirking softly, Prompto trailed a hand down between them, knowing the poor raven needed relief, which the blonde was more than happy to provide. As his hand pressed against the front of Noct’s pants, the raven tensed sharply, a gasp escaping him, before he moaned softly and instinctively bucked into the touch, even in sleep.

“Noct…wake up. I wanna help, but only if you’re awake,” the smaller male purred into Noctis’ ear.

Noct whined softly as he buried his face in Prompto’s shoulder, muttering something in Mer that Prom didn’t understand.

“Noct…” Prompto repeated, kissing his cheek.

“Mmmh…” Noct groaned softly, blinking his eyes open again.

“Hey sleepyhead,” Prompto whispered. “Do you want me to take care of this?” As he finished the last word of his question, he lightly applied a bit of pressure to Noctis’ crotch.

Noct’s eyes snapped open at the touch, startled as another gasp tore itself loose from his throat, before he shut them and, shockingly, tried to push away from Prompto.

“Noct, I wasn’t meaning anything other than giving _you_ relief,” Prompto said, defending himself when he felt the push. “I don’t even _want_ to go too fast.”

Noctis shook his head and opened his mouth, before he whined and held his head in his hands, the world spinning all wrong on its axis as he tried to curl up into himself, murmuring in Mer instinctively.

“Noct…I won’t hurt you, I promise…” the blonde soothed, pulling Noctis close. “I know how painful it gets when left alone, is all…”

However, Noct vehemently shook his head then, despite how it made his world spin, and shoved at Prompto’s chest weakly in an attempt to get away.

“Noct…I’m only trying to help, I promise…” Prompto swore. “I won’t do anything else, I swear.”

Despite the words, Noct didn’t seem to want hear it, as he covered his ears and began to murmur… though it almost sounded like he was chanting in his own tongue.

Realizing that Noct wasn’t listening, Prompto leaned in, pressing his lips to Noctis’ forehead softly, sensually, before he began to smooth his hands along Noctis’ arms slowly, attempting to calm him and show that he wasn’t going to go too fast. “Trust me…” he whispered against the raven’s pale skin.

The touch helped calm Noct down (somewhat), but he continued to whisper the same chant over and over, refusing to open his eyes at all. Even as Prompto’s hands slid along the bare skin of his arms, making him shiver with a barely suppressed whimper, he tried to keep Prompto back (which wasn’t working as well).

Prompto gently pulled Noctis closer, trailing his lips from his boyfriend’s forehead along his temple, to his cheek, and to his jawline. And Noct, in response, gasped softly, before he whimpered as his body began to tremble from the barely suppressed pleasure he was obviously feeling. And yet, despite that, when his fingers grabbed Prompto’s arms, they weakly pushed back, a quiet gasping murmur in Mer escaping his mouth.

Despite this, the smaller male continued to trail kisses along Noctis’ face before moving to his neck.

As the touches moved lower, Noct gave a sound like a pathetic mewl, his fingers clenching around Prompto’s arms, whispering and gasping. “Pr-Prom…!”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Prompto soothed, lightly nipping at Noctis’ neck before suckling.

In response, Noct gasped sharply and almost curled in on himself. And as his fingers tightened, they were no longer pushing, though they weren’t exactly pulling him in, either. The blonde lapped at Noctis’ pale neck, even as his fingers trailed along the raven’s back, before slipping under his shirt to tease his bare skin.

“Ah!!” Noct gasped as his back instinctively arched at the touch, causing their chests to bump together.

Prompto chuckled lowly, unable to help himself. He then slipped a hand between them and palmed Noctis’ clothed erection again. This had Noct tensing in what almost seemed like alarm, as he tried to push away again. Sadly, all of Prompto’s earlier teasing had drained most, if not all, of the fight from his limbs.

“Easy, Noct,” Prompto whispered, moving to his collarbone and nipping, suckling, and lapping at the skin there.

“Pro- _a-aaahh…!_ ”

“I’m just gonna make you feel good,” Prompto murmured, before he began to gently massage the bulge in Noctis’ pants.

Noctis looked like he was about to say something, but all that came out were gasps and barely contained moans as the raven pushed his face into the pillow.

“Feels good, huh?” Prompto asked with a chuckle as his hand unzipped and unbuttoned his boyfriend’s pants…right before slipping his hand into his underwear and gripping the raven’s cock in a teasing grip.

And as soon as he did, Noct’s eyes flew open, unseeing, and he gave a choked cry, with his fingers scrabbling to hold onto Prompto. The blonde didn’t mind the almost painful grip Noctis had on him. In fact, he enjoyed being gripped like that. Soon, the smaller male began to move his hand, dragging it out

“A-aaah…!” Noctis bit his lip as he clenched his eyes shut, trying to keep himself quiet, but not succeeding very well.

Prompto smeared the pre-cum from Noctis’ leaking cock along the raven’s shaft, allowing him to increase his speed a bit. Noctis moaned and whined, his trembling growing more and more prominent as he tried to keep still. His hands were now grasping at Prompto’s shoulders, as his toes curled up in the sheets beneath him.

Finally, the blonde decided to give Noctis the release the poor raven desperately needed, and gave a firm squeeze to his boyfriend’s cock while pressing his thumb into the slit teasingly. And that was all that was needed, as Noct choked on his own breath and a cry at the same time, as he arched into the blonde’s hand as his climax hit him, and not lightly either.

Prompto bit his lip to stifle his own moan as he listened to his boyfriend’s hot reaction when he came. He proceeded to then milk Noctis of his cum, before removing his hand from the raven’s soiled underwear, and then licked the residual cum off with a purr.

Noct, for his part, didn’t even seem aware of this, as he’d slumped back bonelessly on the bed, gasping for breath.

“Better?” Prompto asked as he gently pulled Noctis into a warm embrace. He was relieved he wasn’t spooning him, otherwise Noctis would feel his own ‘problem.’

Noctis tried to speak, but his words came out as a jumbled mess. His eyes were half-shut as his trembling gradually slowed down, and he looked ready to fall asleep at any moment.

“It’s okay… Now get some sleep,” Prompto shushed him gently with a smile, kissing his forehead.

A slow nod was all Noct could manage, before his eyes slipped shut. Gradually, his breathing evened out again, until it was clear he was fast asleep.

This time, Prompto settled with his boyfriend, knowing the raven would be okay. He just hoped the same could be said for his currently aching cock, but he wasn’t about to make Noctis return the favor or leave him just to take care of himself.

As he slept, though, Noctis suddenly murmured a single word…

“…can’t…”

“…Huh?” Prompto uttered quietly, puzzled by Noctis’s sudden word.

Of course, no response came, and Noct finally settled in sleep, breathing deeply.

Prompto decided to dismiss it for now, before snuggling into the bed with Noctis in his arms.


	15. Along the Sands

It was three days later that Prompto had decided to take Noctis to another beach, one that the former Mer more than likely hadn’t been to before. He chose to tell Noctis the night before that they were going to Galdin Quay, which, of course, had confused the raven, so Prompto told him it was a fancy place where they could hang out by the ocean. Sure enough, once they got there in the cab, Prompto inhaled deeply once he was out of the cab, enjoying the lovely salty sea air. He then turned and helped Noctis out of the cab, smiling at him eagerly.

Noct flinched a bit at the harsh sunlight, shielding his eyes with the hand not held by Prompto, before he looked around curiously.

“Welcome to Galdin Quay, Noct,” Prompto told him happily. “I know it’s bright out here, but it’s better than rain right now.”

Of course, Noctis didn’t say he’d prefer the rain, and instead he merely regarded all the people having fun along the beach. And he couldn’t help but be confused.

“…? Why everyone underwear?” he asked, genuinely confused about what he was seeing.

“They’re actually wearing swimsuits, Noct. Humans wear them when they go to any water that they don’t clean themselves in,” Prompto explained with a chuckle. “I know it’s strange, but it’s how humans are.” At this, he shrugged.

Noctis tilted his head in question, but he didn’t ask any further. Instead, he turned to regard the people walking and running around. “…What they do?” he asked finally.

“They like to hang out in the sun, or even go and play in the water for fun,” Prompto explained. “I’m not as much of a sun bather, but I do enjoy cooling off in the ocean sometimes.”

“…they swim??” Noctis asked, surprised. He hadn’t expected humans to be able to move in the water, given the difficulty Prompto had displayed when Leviathan had attacked the boat he’d been on.

“Yeah, but not as good as Mer,” the blonde chuckled. “I had a hard time back during that storm when you saved me, but the waters were rough, which was why.”

The raven nodded softly, in awe, before he turned to watch the other people again.

“…? Why girl have those things on arms?” he asked as a small girl with floats secured around her arms hurried after her mother with a laugh.

“They’re called floats, and they help kids who can’t swim just yet to stay floating in the water,” the smaller male told him.

Nodding in understanding, Noct just watched for a few moments, just taking everything… before his gaze fell on a large structure in the distance.

“That’s Angelgard,” Prompto said. “I’ve never gone out there myself, so I don’t know too much on it.”

“…An…gelgard…?” Noct repeated slowly.

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, before checking the time on his phone. “Geez, it’s already the middle of the day? How about we get some lunch, and then we’ll take a walk along the beach?”

“…Okay,” Noctis said after a moment, though he did regard Angelgard in question one last time before following after Prompto.

The blonde led Noctis to the restaurant, where they got a table in the shade near the water. “They have really good fish here, so we’ll get something good,” Prompto suggested.

This made Noct smile a bit absently, even as he began to look around the restaurant curiously.

Prompto chuckled at the sight of his boyfriend’s curiosity. He was glad they’d come here for a day. When it was time to order, the smaller male ordered the sea bounty risotto for each of them. Man, was he glad he’d gotten such a good pay from that last job at the birthday party, even _with_ that drunk girl.

As they sat and waited for their orders to be brought in, Noctis eventually turned back around and took a sip from his water.

“Hey Noct?” Prompto asked suddenly, gaining the raven’s attention. “What’s it like, where you live?”

Noctis blinked at the sudden question, before he frowned in thought. “…Home is… Insomnia is… big. Like Altissia… but less people living,” he started, lightly shrugging. “Only so much of us… don’t have many little ones. Lost many long ago… still trying get back old numbers.”

“I’m sorry to hear that…” Prompto murmured.

“Is… okay,” Noctis murmured. “We get by. Just need time.”

“True,” the smaller male nodded. “I just hope things go well for you all down there.”

Noctis nodded with a smile, before he looked out toward the ocean quietly.

“You miss home, huh?” Prompto guessed softly as he watched the raven.

A nod was the only response he got.

“What’s your father like, Noct?”

“Father…?” Noct repeated, before he looked down. “Father is… kind. He is good parent but… worries a lot.”

“I’m glad he’s a good parent, and I know parents always worries about their children,” Prompto smiled softly. “Good parents can’t help but worry.”

“Yeah…” Noct murmured, before he looked to the ocean again. “…must be worried now, too…”

“I’m sure Ignis and Gladio told him you were okay, though,” Prompto soothed, taking his hand.

“…yeah…”

Soon after the agreement was said, their food was brought out, and the blonde’s eyes lit up at the sight of the food.

Noctis regarded his own food curiously, though he did thank the waiter before he turned back to the food, poking at it a bit.

“Try it, it’s really good,” Prompto grinned as he took a bite.

After a moment, mostly to let it cool, Noct scooped up some of the fish and popped it into his mouth. Prompto watched Noctis as he took another bite. The raven spent a few moments to try and get a feel for the taste, as he always did when trying something new, before he finally swallowed and dug in properly.

“Good, huh?” Prompto chuckled.

“Hmhmm,” Noctis hummed with a quick nod, before taking another bite.

The blonde smiled as he continued to eat. “Different, eh?” he asked after a bit.

“Uh-huh… different from Ignis food.”

“Oh, Ignis cooks?” Prompto asked, surprised.

“Yeah. Always making new recipes.”

Prompto chuckled. “That’s cool. I can’t cook to save my life.”

Noctis allowed a small smirk, before he focused on his food again.

“Okay, stupid question. How can he cook underwater? Don’t you need heat to cook?” Prompto finally asked after a few minutes.

“…? We have warm ground under Insomnia,” the Mer-turned-human said. “Warms up food well enough.”

“Ah, I get it. An underwater volcano,” Prompto realized. “Never thought of it that way.”

“Vol…cano??”

“A volcano is normally something that sometimes shoots fire and lava on occasion, but when they’re underwater, they don’t,” the blonde explained.

“…?”

“Lava is like liquid fire, basically,” Prompto elaborated. “It’s really hot.”

“Oh.”

Prompto laughed lightly before taking another bite. “Yeah, it’s different from your home, I’m sure.”

“Yeah,” Noctis agreed with a small nod.

“What do you think of the human world, though, Noct?” Prompto asked, waiting a few minutes before asking the question.

At those words, Noctis paused with his fork halfway to his mouth   before he lowered it. “…different… I like but… just… so different…”

“If you could…would you stay here?” the smaller male asked softly.

At that, Noctis looked up to Prompto in a combination of surprise and alarm. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, but then, his expression fell and he looked down. “…I want but… can’t…”

“I know you can’t, but if you could, would you?” Prompto elaborated, watching his boyfriend curiously.

For a long moment, Noctis remained silent, poking at his food. Of course he would if he could. The longer he spent there, the more he didn’t want to be away from Prompto, but he knew it was a foolish thought. Much as he wanted, he couldn’t stay… he still had his responsibilities.

But if he really could…?

“…yeah…”

“I’m glad,” Prompto smiled. “I know you can’t stay on land forever, but I’m glad to know you would if you could.” He then reached for Noctis’ hand and squeezed it lightly.

Noctis blinked for a moment, before he smiled and squeezed him back.

The blonde then withdrew before taking the last few bites of his food. “That was so good,” he chuckled.

Once Noctis had finished his own food he let out a small exhale before he looked to Prompto. “We go walk now?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, let’s go for a walk,” Prompto smiled warmly, before he left some gil on the table to pay for their meal and tip, and then he took Noctis’ hand in his as he led the way to the beach.

Noctis smiled as he followed after. As they got onto the beach, though, Noctis almost yelped as the sand caved under his feet.

“Easy, it’s okay, Noct,” Prompto said. “It’s a bit harder to walk on, but the sand is easier to walk on when it’s soaked. Here, let’s walk along the shoreline.”

Once they were on the wet sand, Noctis breathed easier as he found the sand better able to support his weight.

“Better, huh?” Prompto asked with a chuckle.

“Uh-huh.”

“Good,” the smaller male smiled, lightly squeezing Noctis’s hand.

Noctis blinked at the sudden squeeze and looked up curiously.

“Love you,” Prompto murmured, smiling.

The words made Noctis smile softly, before he moved closer to Prompto, murmuring back: “Love you, too.”

As they walked, even Prompto was getting warm. Suddenly, he perked up when he noticed an ice cream cart, and he grinned at Noctis. “Noct, this is something you gotta try,” he said eagerly.

“…?” Noct blinked curiously, with his head cocked to the side in question.

“You’ll see,” the blonde laughed, before leading Noctis on over to the cart. He then ordered them both his favorite ice cream, one he hadn’t had in quite a while, before paying and handing the raven his ice cream. “It’s called ice cream, and this one’s flavor is sea salt. You’re gonna love it.”

“Ice… cream…?” Noctis repeated, before he looked at the treat he was holding. With a small shrug, he put it to his mouth and tried to bite off a piece, only to cry out at both the cold and just how _hard_ it was as he pulled it out. He then proceeded to glare at the object crossly.

“You lick at it, Noct. Don’t bite it until it gets a bit softer,” the blonde told him, holding back his chuckle. He felt bad for almost laughing.

“…?” The brunette silently looked at him, obviously confused about what he meant by that.

“Watch,” the smaller male smiled, before beginning to lick his ice cream, humming pleasantly at the sweet and salty taste.

Noctis watched this for a moment, before he turned to his own ice cream. After a moment of thought, he brought it to his mouth and licked at the pop briefly. The blonde watched him as he did, still lapping at his ice cream.

 As the taste dawned on him, Noctis blinked and looked at the pop in surprise. “…Water?” he asked.

“A bit sweeter than the ocean though, huh?” Prompto laughed, unable to resist.

Noctis tilted his head, but, in the end, he just went back to his ice cream.

This drew an amused chuckle from the blonde, and he took Noctis’ free hand in his own as they resumed their walk.

Noctis didn’t look up as he walked after, silently licking at his ice cream as they went, while also keeping an eye on his surroundings.

“Good, huh?” Prompto asked after a few minutes once he’d eaten about half of his pop.

Noctis nodded with a hum… before he yelped as the steadily melting pop touched his fingers.

“Quick, Noct, eat it, or else it’ll fall off the stick!” Prompto warned with a laugh.

This made the raven look over in confusion, before he regarded the pop. After a moment, though, he groaned in frustration and put the whole thing in his mouth in one go. Which resulted in a slightly muffled yelp as the cold treat hit him almost immediately.

Prompto snorted on a laugh, unable to contain it this time. “You okay?” he asked as he took a bite of his softened ice cream.

Noctis breathed through his nose a few times before he nodded, keeping a hand to his mouth as a stream of molten ice cream began to dribble down his chin. The smaller male’s eyes widened at the sight, before he quickly swiped his thumb across the raven’s chin, clearing away most of the ice cream, and then licking it off his thumb.

“…?” Noct blinked at him, confused as to why he did that.

“It would have gotten all over you,” Prompto shrugged, and besides, he’d wanted to. He would have preferred to lick it off his chin, but he’d take the next best thing.

Though Noctis obviously didn’t believe that that was all, he didn’t say anything of it. Mostly because he still had his mouth full, as he swallowed on occasion to the get molten ice cream down his throat.

Prompto chuckled as he watched Noctis, still eating his own ice cream, and now hurrying to finish it before he had to do the same as his boyfriend had.

Finally, Noctis swallowed the last part of his ice cream, pulling the stick out from his mouth again.

Prompto quickly finished his, before he smiled brightly at Noctis. “Good, eh?”

The Mer-turned-human nodded his head with a small smile.

 

As they continued further down the beach, Prompto then spotted an area a little ways away from all the people on the bright sand, and knew it would be a good spot for Noctis and himself to wade around in the water for a bit. Smiling at Noctis, he said: “Let’s go over here,” before guiding the raven over to the spot.

Tilting his head, Noctis seemed curious as to why they’d need to go there, but he didn’t question it and instead followed wordlessly.

Once they reached the spot, Prompto pulled off his boots and socks, tucking the latter into his boots and rolling up his pant legs to his knees. “I figured we could hang in the water a little bit,” he smiled at his boyfriend.

Noctis regarded Prompto for a moment, before he moved to copy what he had just done. Which wasn’t as easy as he’d expected, since he still had some difficulty with standing on one leg. Thankfully he had a loving boyfriend there who helped Noctis keep his balance by placing his hands on Noctis’ sides to help.

Once he’d gotten his shoes and socks off, Noctis turned to Prompto, as the blonde took his time in removing his hands.

“Let’s go in the water,” Prompto murmured, smiling softly, before taking Noctis’ hand and leading him into the water.

As they stepped into the water, Noct briefly tensed in surprise at the chill, but then he smiled as he relaxed, curling his toes in the sand beneath his feet.

“Feels good, huh?” Prompto chuckled.

Noct nodded quietly, lightly kicking at the water. The blonde laughed softly at the almost childish act, leaning over and kissing Noctis’ cheek.

The sudden gesture made Noct look over curiously. However, after a moment of obvious thought, he smiled and stepped up, kissing Prompto right on the mouth without a warning. Not that Prompto was complaining, and he smiled as he kissed back, wrapping his arms around Noctis’ waist to keep him close.

Purring softly, Noctis brought his hands up and curled his fingers in Prompto’s hair, pulling his head further in as he licked at his lips. With a quiet moan, the smaller male parted his lips, allowing the raven entry.

Smiling against Prompto’s lips, Noctis adjusted his head as their tongues mingled…

“ _Kekekekekeke~_ ”

“…!!” Suddenly Noctis pulled away from Prompto and snapped his gaze toward the ocean, a look of alarm on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked worriedly, seeing the alarmed look on his boyfriend’s face.

Noctis didn’t respond; he just kept looking out over the ocean, scanning the horizon. He finally settled, though certainly not entirely, and he breathed heavily before he shook his head. “N-nothing… nothing wrong…”

“Did you want to head back? After all, it’ll be night at this rate if we don’t leave soon, and I don’t want to encounter any daemons,” Prompto said.

“…Y…yeah…” Noct murmured, reaching down to pick up his boots from where he’d accidentally dropped them.

“Okay,” the blonde nodded, kissing the raven’s cheek again as he snagged his own boots and slipped on his socks before putting his feet back into his boots.

Noctis didn’t bother with putting his footwear back on, though. He just followed after Prompto once the blonde started walking again. As they went though, he couldn’t help but look back again. He’d recognized the laugh, of course… but he didn’t want to think of what it belonged to. Because if it did, it meant he was being watched… and that only meant he had to be more and more wary of everyone around him…

 

Once their cab had arrived, which only took five minutes, Prompto sat close to Noctis in the vehicle as it drove them back to Lestallum, cuddling with his boyfriend a bit. “Love you…” he murmured, pressing his lips to Noctis’ briefly.

Noctis hummed softly as he settled against Prompto’s side, head on the blonde’s shoulder as he murmured: “Love you, too…”

“Did you have fun at Galdin Quay?” Prompto asked with a small smile as he looked at the raven.

“Hmhmm…” Noct hummed lazily.

“Good,” the blonde smiled a little wider.

By the time they got to Lestallum, it was almost completely dark out, and Prompto sighed in relief once they were in the safety of the well-lit city. The couple got out after Prompto paid the driver, and then headed for Prompto’s home. Noctis hummed softly as he followed after, briefly stretching his arms before scratching the back of his neck.

When they got inside of his home, Prompto turned to Noctis before kissing him lovingly, pulling him close by his waist. The sudden kiss made Noct gasp a bit, but he didn’t object as he shut his eyes and rested his hands on Prompto’s shoulders.

The smaller male purred softly as he ran his tongue along the seam of Noctis’ lips, seeking entry. A soft moan fell from Noctis’ mouth as he opened his mouth, curling his tongue around Prompto’s as his hands moved around to the back of the blonde’s neck.

As they continued to kiss, Prompto slid his hands up from Noctis’ waist to his neck as they kissed, before tangling his fingers in those soft, ebony locks, and the touch made Noctis hum pleasantly, his fingers tickling at Prompto’s hairline teasingly. The blonde moaned a bit louder at the teasing, before pressing his hips to Noctis’ teasingly.

However, that caused Noct to tense in alarm, before he broke the kiss and pushed away from Prompto.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked, concerned.

“…S…sorry… b-bathroom…” Noct choked out, before he abruptly turned and hurried for the bathroom.

Prompto frowned, his brows furrowing together as the door snapped shut behind the raven. Was it because he’d tried to make a move? He had a bad feeling it was…

 

‘ _Dammit…!_ ’ Noct groaned as he covered his face with his hands, trying not to hyperventilate as he leaned back against the door. ‘ _Too close…_ ** _too_** _close… I can’t… can’t let it get any further…_ ’

He knew he’d probably worried Prompto with his sudden departure, and that was the last thing he wanted, but he just couldn’t let things continue any further. He couldn’t do it, whether he wanted to or not; he just couldn’t afford it.

And it hurt…

He _really_ wanted to be as close to Prompto as he could be for the short time they had left, but he just couldn’t do it… the circumstances just wouldn’t allow it.

Breathing deeply for a moment, Noctis walked toward the sink, turned open the faucet, and then splashed his face with the cold water, gasping briefly at the ‘refresher’.

‘ _Right… just… be normal. Just don’t act weird and… and we can get through the rest of the week…_ ’

After shutting the faucet, Noct managed to calm himself, before he headed out again.

Prompto looked up at Noctis from the bed when the raven came out, his expression clearly worried. “I’m not gonna ask if you’re okay this time, because I know you’re not…” he murmured.

Noct almost froze at the words, but he managed to keep his expression neutral. “…? I’m fine…” he said after a moment, before he moved over and sat down next to Prompto on the bed, though there was at least a foot of empty space between them.

“Noct, please don’t lie to me… You’re keeping space between us now, so something’s wrong…” Prompto mumbled, lowering his gaze.

This made Noctis flinch, as he tried to say something, but he quickly shut his mouth again when nothing came out. He didn’t mean to put space between them; it just happened because of the thoughts still rushing through his head. But he knew he couldn’t tell him that…

“Why won’t you tell me…?” Prompto asked quietly.

“Prom… I…”

The blonde waited, worried about Noctis. He just wanted to help, after all. The former Mer continued to try and speak, but he didn’t even know what it was he wanted to say, and, in the end, he ended up shutting his mouth and looking down to his lap.

The smaller male sighed heavily, before mumbling: “I’m here if you want to talk, okay?” And then he curled into a ball on his side, facing away from Noctis. He was hurt the raven didn’t seem to want to tell him what was wrong, so he was going to give Noctis some time.

“…Prom…” Noctis called out softly, before he moved over to lie down behind him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and resting his forehead between the blonde’s shoulders.

Prompto nearly tensed, knowing Noctis was trying to comfort him. He would rather his boyfriend tell him what was wrong instead, though. Exhaling shakily, the blonde whimpered as he tried to keep himself from crying.

“…I’m sorry…”

At those two words, the dam broke, and he began to cry, turning in Noctis’ hold so he could be closer to him. He’d been trying so hard to be positive and considerate of Noctis, but now that that emotional dam had broken, and he sobbed into Noctis’ chest, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

“A-ah…!?” Noct blinked, twice, before he frowned sadly and held the blonde close to him, beginning to hum softly.

Prompto trembled in the raven’s hold, continuing to cry, even as his ears picked up the sound of Noctis’ humming. As the ex-Mer continued to hum softly, he let his hands smooth over his back and through his blonde hair. As Prompto’s sobs and cries eventually began to quiet down to whimpers as he shivered in his boyfriend’s comforting hold.

Noctis didn’t stop moving his hands along the blonde’s back or through his hair, though, and he continued to hum softly as he held him close to him. He knew he couldn’t keep doing this, though; he had to say something, if only to let his boyfriend know that there was nothing wrong with them… that it was just ‘him’, and not them…

He just wished he knew how…

Eventually, Prompto stopped crying, even his whimpers stopping, and he slowly relaxed in Noctis’ hold as he started to fall asleep, still clinging to the raven.

“…Prom…?”

The smaller male blinked his eyes open, looking up at Noctis tiredly, but he was determined to stay awake if it meant Noctis telling him what was wrong.

Noctis didn’t speak immediately, taking a long moment to just breathe, before he murmured softly: “I’m… sorry… I just… //dammit how do I…?//” he grumbled, before he sighed. “…I… I just… I can’t…”

“Can’t what?” Prompto asked softly.

“…can’t… I can’t…” He tried, but he just couldn’t say it. Noct exhaled in aggravation as he rested his head on Prompto’s. “…I want to…” he murmured softly, arms wrapped firmly around Prompto, “but I can’t… just… I’m… I’m not… ready… I’m sorry…”

When the words finally filtered through his weary mind, Prompto blinked slowly, as he realized what the raven was saying, or trying to say. “I understand, Noct… I’m sorry…” he whispered.

“Not… not your fault…” Noctis murmured, rubbing Prompto’s back. “I… was scared… so… ‘s my fault… I’m sorry…”

The blonde was quiet after that, the soothing rubbing to his back lulling him back to sleep.

When Noctis realized that the blonde had fallen asleep, he smiled lovingly and placed a soft kiss on Prompto’s forehead. Quietly, he settled on the bed as well, holding Prompto close as he shut his eyes, deciding to take a small nap of his own until dinner.

“…love you, Prom… love you… so much…”


	16. Thoughts of Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Worrying is never something you should focus too much time on... but sometimes it's unavoidable.

At the dawn of Noctis’ tenth day as a human, the couple was resting in Prompto’s bed, still huddled together. The sun wasn’t even up yet, and normally neither of the two would be up, but, shockingly, Noctis found himself wide awake for some reason he couldn’t explain. Groaning heavily as awareness hit him full in the face, he blinked his eyes open, finding himself looking at Prompto’s sleeping face as his boyfriend slept, unaware of Noctis’ state of awareness.

Smiling softly, Noctis moved in and gently, though briefly, kissed Prompto on his lips, as he reached up to wipe his hair out of his eyes. The blonde wrinkled his nose a bit at the tickling from his own hair, before he inhaled deeply through his nose, his eyes blinking open to see that his boyfriend was kissing him. He kissed back lovingly, his eyes sliding closed again, before he chuckled as he pulled back.

“That was a pleasant ‘good morning’,” he smirked.

Noctis shrugged his shoulders softly, a small smile on his own face.

“Good morning, Noct,” the smaller male murmured, leaning in and kissing the raven again.

Noctis hummed a bit as he kissed back, before he pulled back. “Morning…”

“Want to get some breakfast?” Prompto asked with a small smile.

“Hmm… sure,” the raven murmured.

The blonde smiled a bit wider, before sitting up, stretching his arms over his head and making his back and shoulders click. Noctis rolled onto his back and briefly stretched as well, before he climbed out of the bed, rubbing at his eyes.

Prompto slid out of bed himself, before starting to change into his day clothes. Meanwhile, Noctis collected his own clothes, yawning behind his hand, before he sleepily walked toward the bathroom.

The smaller male waited until the door was shut behind Noctis, before sighing. He wished that they _could_ be intimate, but Noctis just seemed too scared. He wasn’t sure if it had to do with the differences in culture or if there was something else entirely about the whole thing, but it was getting more than a little… well, ‘annoying’ was too strong a word, but it was definitely becoming a bit unbearable.

He just hoped they could find common ground, soon…

 

As Noctis showered (with fairly cold water, since it felt much better to him), the raven tried not to think on how little time they had left, but there was just no avoiding it. He really had only four more days to spend with Prompto, and that thought hurt.

He knew there was no way they could meet after this, because he would surely never be allowed to leave the Citadel ever again, and he wanted to make these last days count. But he just didn’t know how…

…Well there was _one_ thing… but he couldn’t do that. No matter how much he wished he could, he just couldn’t do it…

 

Prompto, on the other hand, wanted to make every second with Noctis count, even if they didn’t have sex. The thought of not being with Noctis like that alone hurt, though. But he knew he couldn’t force it on Noct. He could only hope that the former Mer would come around soon.

Just then, Noct stepped out from the bathroom, tugging his shirt properly over his head as he walked over.

The smaller male then looked at Noctis, a bright smile in place. “Ready for some food?”

Noctis smiled at the words, nodding his head as he approached.

“Good,” Prompto nodded, before leading his boyfriend out of the house and to a food stand for some breakfast, where the blonde ordered them their food before they sat down to wait for their food to be brought out.

Once they were in their seats, Noctis stretched out his arms again, suppressing another yawn as he got comfortable.

“Still tired, eh?” Prompto chuckled.

Noctis shrugged his shoulders a bit at the question, before he sat back in his seat and looked around the area. Prompto merely smiled in amusement, watching Noctis. Upon spotting the look, Noctis turned to him with a quirked eyebrow.

But before he could say anything about it, their order number was called, and Prompto merely smiled at his boyfriend before going and getting their food and bringing it to the table. He handed Noctis his plate before beginning to eat his own food.

Noctis continued to look at Prompto for a few moments longer, before he merely snorted and turned to his own food. As he did, though, he was picking out the vegetables from the dish wordlessly.

And Prompto laughed lightly when he saw this. “You’re gonna hate vegetables for life, huh?” he asked with an amused grin.

The raven merely scoffed as he said: “Too dry.”

The smaller male simply chuckled, before returning to his own food.

 

Once they’d finished their food, Noct turned to Prompto and asked: “What we do now?”

“Let’s go somewhere for a nice view,” Prompto suggested.

“Okay,” Noct said with a nod as he stood up.

Prompto then stood as well, before taking Noctis’ hand in his and walking them to the outlook of Lestallum, so they could look at the Disc of Cauthess at a good vantage point. And the former Mer trailed along quietly, squeezing Prompto’s hand briefly. As they approached the outlook, though, he suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked, looking back at his boyfriend.

Noctis didn’t answer immediately. However, before Prompto could ask again, Noct pulled his hand free and hurried on ahead.

“N-Noct, wait up!” Prompto yelped.

But the raven didn’t wait as he descended the steps to the outlook two at a time. And then he hurried to the railing, where he leaned against it to stare out across the plains toward the Disc of Cauthess. Pausing, Prompto saw a good photo opportunity, and quietly turned on his camera, before zooming in and snapping a few pictures.

Noctis wasn’t even aware of what Prompto was doing; he was too focused on the Disc of Cauthess, as he regarded it as the sun gradually rose over the horizon from behind it. While it wasn’t the first time he’d seen the Disc of Cauthess, it _was_ the first time he’d seen it right as the sun rose, which added an extra layer of mystique to the sight. And as he stood there, the wind blowing through his bangs, a small smile spread over his face.

Beginning to smile himself, Prompto took a few more shots, focusing on Noctis’ smile, before lowering his camera and powering it off so he could save its battery before joining his boyfriend.

“Good view, huh?” he asked with a soft smile.

“Hmhmm… “ Noct hummed as he leaned forward on his elbows.

Prompto pecked Noctis’ cheek, before leaning on the railing as well.

Noctis briefly looked over at the kiss, before smiling and reaching for Prompto’s elbow. Prompto looked at Noctis at the touch, smiling. And Noct’s smile, if possible, brightened even more as he turned back to the Disc of Cauthess.

Prompto took Noctis’ hand in his as they stood there, simply enjoying the closeness with his boyfriend.

“Ah, do pardon me,” a casual voice suddenly said from behind them, making them look up in question. “Would one of you fine gents be willing to lend a poor old man a hand, hm?”

“Hmm?” Prompto hummed, frowning slightly in question as he looked at the man.

“See, I fear I’ve gone and gotten myself lost,” the man said with a soft sigh as he adjusted his fedora. “How does one get to the power plant, exactly?”

Noctis frowned softly at the man’s words. It was faint, but he’d swear he heard an almost familiar accent lining the man’s speech. He just couldn’t place it.

“Oh… Just follow the path all the way up the steps, and you should be able to find it easily,” Prompto told him.

“Ah, that simple, is it?” the man asked, a smile playing on his face. “Thank you for your assistance,” he said as he tipped his hat. “Feel free to carry on as you were. _Kuut tyo._ ”

And Noct froze. He knew those words…

But if the man noticed, then he didn’t show it as he turned and left as swiftly as he’d appeared.

Once the man was gone, Prompto was frowning, too. Looking at Noctis, he said, “That sounded almost similar to Mer. Do you know him…?”

Noct shook his head. He knew most Mer in his own Corale; there weren’t that many left, after all, and this guy was certainly not one of Insomnia’s inhabitants. Which meant he was either a Weiz… or a Wyf. Either or was a bad thing.

But… how did he get on land…?

“That’s so weird…” the blonde murmured. “What did he say? Could you tell?”

“…He say ‘Good day’,” the raven translated.

“Hmm… Nothing weird about what he said, but still, that guy gave me the creeps,” Prompto muttered, shivering lightly.

Noticing this, Noct reached out and wrapped his arms around Prompto’s shoulders and rubbed along his arms.

“Thanks, Noct,” the smaller male smiled, leaning over and kissing him.

Humming softly, Noctis kissed back softly before he pulled back, frowning as he looked back to where the man had gone.

“I wonder why he wanted to find the Power Plant, though,” Prompto frowned as well. “Only women work there, so he can’t have anything good planned…”

“……” Noctis was silent in response to the question, a deep frown beginning to play on his face.

“Maybe we should head back, just in case he comes back,” the blonde suggested.

Noct blinked in surprise at the sudden offer, but in the end he nodded and followed after Prompto silently.

As they walked back to Prompto’s house, the smaller male couldn’t help but worry about that strange man. He was clearly bad news, based off the vibe he got from him and Noctis’ reaction and words. Something was definitely off about him…

 

When they finally returned to the apartment, Noct took a heavy breath, running his hands through his hair, worry appearing in his eyes.

“Noct? You wanna talk?” Prompto asked softly, kicking off his boots by the front door.

“…I… I don’t know… who he is… what if… what if…” the former-Mer mumbled softly under his breath.

“I’ll keep you safe, Noct,” Prompto promised, hugging him as he kissed the taller male. “I won’t let him near you from now on.”

Noct briefly tensed at the hug, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, before he relaxed and hugged back.

The blonde frowned when he felt Noctis tense, pulling back after a few seconds. “Noct, I didn’t mean to scare you…” he murmured, lowering his gaze.

‘ _Dammit! I gotta_ ** _stop_** _that!_ ’ Noct thought to himself before he sighed softly. “It… it’s okay… just… hugs in Insomnia… always from back… so is… strange to… to…”

“I understand,” Prompto nodded. “Sorry…”

“It’s… it’s okay…” Noct got out, trying to sound slightly more sure of himself than he felt, but it certainly wasn’t easy.

The smaller male smiled kindly at Noctis. “Did you want to go back out at all?” he asked. “If not, we can do something here, like watch a movie.”

“…? Mo…vie…?”

“I’ll show you,” Prompto chuckled, before leading Noctis to the living room and sitting him on the love seat. Once the raven was sitting, Prompto went to his DVD case, where he looked for a good movie for them to watch.

Noctis watched him curiously, his head tilted to the side as the blonde skimmed over the cases.

Finally, the smaller male made a noise of triumph as he found an appropriate movie for them, something that would probably keep the raven’s attention, and his own. Popping the disc into the DVD player, Prompto curled up with Noctis on the love seat before turning on the TV and starting the movie, “March of the Chocobos”.

Blinking in question, Noct regarded Prom for a moment, before he turned to the TV as the numerous logos of the companies working on the movie flashed by. None of which meant anything to the brunette. But then as the logos were all dealt with, the movie started with a very imposing shot of a sunrise.

“…?”

“Just watch,” Prompto murmured with an amused smile.

As Noct focused on the screen, his head lightly tilted in his confusion, he wasn’t sure what he was looking at… until a familiar shape appeared amidst the sunrise.

“…! Chocobo!” Noct proclaimed in awe.

“Yup,” Prompto chucked, snuggling into Noctis’s side.

As the narrator began to talk over the footage, with the pack of Chocobos rising with the sun before beginning their migration to their nesting grounds, Noctis was staring in awe at the screen, instinctively settling himself against Prompto.

Prompto was definitely happy with this. He leaned his head against Noctis’ shoulder, sighing contently in the slight quiet of the apartment. And as the movie continued on, Noctis’ attention was completely transfixed on the screen, and he almost didn’t blink, which was kind of funny… in a way. And for the majority of the movie, Noct was silent.

That is until they reached the nesting grounds and the ‘competitions’ began.

“…? What they doing??” Noctis asked as two male Chocobos started screeching and attacking one another.

“They’re fighting for a female Chocobo, so one of them can have her as a mate,” Prompto explained.

“…mate…?”

“Like a girlfriend,” Prompto elaborated.

Noct gave a small “ah” of understanding, before he turned back to the TV.

The blonde smiled at Noctis’ focus on the screen, amused by his boyfriend’s response to the movie.

But as the movie continued on, an odd look came over Noct’s face as the female Chocobo settled in her new nest. As she remained there, with her mate bringing her food, the look only intensified and Noct’s fingers curled into the couch cushions.

“…”

“You okay, Noct?” Prompto asked softly, noticing the look.

But the raven didn’t respond, as he kept his gaze on the TV while the female Chocobo stood up and fussed over her eggs. And throughout it all Prompto watched Noctis rather than the movie (he’d seen it at least 10 times before, anyway), concern written all over his face.

When it was finally time in the movie for the eggs to hatch, Noctis blinked, twice… and a single tear slipped down his cheek.

“Noct…?” Prompto murmured, reaching over and wiping the tear away.

The touch made Noct jump before turning to Prom. “Wha…” he started, before he realized what was happening and he reached up to wipe at his own eyes as more tears gathered there.

“What’s wrong, Noct?” the blonde asked, worried.

“I… I don’t…” his boyfriend got out, his breathing starting to pick up as more and more tears began to escape from the corners of his eyes.

Prompto turned off the movie, since it was clear it was depressing his boyfriend (though he wasn’t sure why), and gently pulled the raven into a hug, shushing him quietly.

Though Noct didn’t reject the hug, he did continue to try and stop the now almost constant flow of tears. And at the same time he took long gulps of air to calm himself, before he ended up hyperventilating. Which, sadly enough, didn’t appear to be working as well as he would’ve liked.

“Easy, Noct,” Prompto soothed, rubbing his back to calm him.

Noct tried to speak – but only a brief hiccup escaped him.

“Ssshhh…” the smaller male shushed him gently, kissing his cheek.

Breathing heavily, Noctis clenched his eyes firmly shut with one hand covering his mouth to keep whatever sounds he made in check. Not that it stopped his tears, but he was at least making a valiant effort.

Prompto merely held Noctis close, comforting him as the raven tried desperately not to bawl, it seemed. Eventually, the blonde whispered: “Noct, it won’t get better until you let it out…”

A shake of the head was the only response Noct could manage, even as his shoulders trembled under Prompto’s arms.

“It’s okay to cry, Noct… I’m here for you…always…” the smaller male promised.

The former Mer tried to talk (without removing his hand) but it just didn’t work. Because just as he lifted the hand to say something, a harsh, broken sob escaped from his constricted throat and he whimpered, before he buried his face in Prompto’s shoulder, sobbing. And Prompto merely held him close, comforting him as his boyfriend sobbed.

And for almost five minutes, Noctis sobbed and cried, clinging to Prompto tightly as hot tears fell on the blonde’s shoulders. But when the raven’s tears finally abated and his sobbing had stopped, he didn’t move from where he was.

The smaller male remained still except for the slow rubbing along Noctis’ back. He wanted to wait for Noctis to be okay, mostly. Obviously something was really upsetting for him, but he wouldn’t ask unless it became too much on his boyfriend’s mind, or unless he was ready to share.

Finally, the ex-Mer’s sobs stopped entirely and he merely rested there, breathing deeply and heavily, fingers clutching at Prompto’s back through the material of his shirt.

Even then, Prompto kept himself as he was, soothingly smoothing his hands along Noctis’ back as he held him. Despite how he had clearly calmed down enough, Noct didn’t move away from Prompto. If anything he actually held on tighter.

Finally, Prompto turned his head to kiss Noctis’ cheek softly. “Feel a little better now?” he asked quietly with an understanding tone.

“…” Noct merely nodded his head softly.

“I’m here whenever you want to talk about it, okay?” Prompto promised, pulling back slightly to look his boyfriend in the eyes. “I love you.”

Noct blinked slowly, his eyes slightly red from crying, before he nodded softly and put his head back against Prompto’s shoulder. “…love you too…” he breathed out softly.

“I’ll be here, always,” Prompto whispered, nuzzling Noctis’s neck in a comforting gesture.

Noctis didn’t answer; he just breathed in Prompto’s comforting scent for a long moment, holding vast. However, as he did, he whispered something under his breath.

Surprisingly, Prompto heard him, but couldn’t make out what was said. “What was that?” he questioned gently.

“…nothing…”

“Okay,” the smaller male murmured, not wanting to push his boyfriend too much.

Noctis breathed a little easier. He really shouldn’t have said that, albeit in his own tongue. If, under any circumstances, Prom figured out what he’d just said…

He shook the thought away. He didn’t want to think on that anymore.

“Did you just want to go lie down for now?” Prompto inquired softly, still rubbing the raven’s back slowly.

“…no… dun wanna…” Noct murmured softly.

“Okay. We can stay like this as long as you want,” Prompto whispered with a soft smile.

Noctis hummed softly at the words, pulling his legs up onto the couch and curling closer to Prompto. And the blonde merely kissed Noctis’ cheek again, before nuzzling his neck softly as he continued to hold his boyfriend.

After a while, though, Noctis suddenly pushed himself up on the couch. However, before Prompto could ask what he was doing, he turned around and then let himself fall back against the blonde.

Prompto’s breath escaped him in a huff, but he laughed lightly as he wrapped his arms around Noctis’ waist. “Better?” he chuckled.

“Mm… much,” Noct murmured, as he brought up his hands and linked them with Prompto’s lazily.

“Good,” the smaller male smiled, nuzzling Noctis’ upper back in between his shoulder blades.

Noct hummed a little, but he didn’t move, aside from his thumbs moving over the back of Prompto’s hands. And then, after taking a small breath, he began to sing softly. Prompto began to relax even more than he already was at the sound of Noctis’ singing, giving a soft, content hum against Noctis’ back.

For the longest time, that was how they staid; content and half-asleep on the couch, with only Noct’s singing filling the otherwise dead silent apartment. And throughout it all, Noct’s thumbs continued to rub in circles along Prompto’s hands,

After a while, Prompto raised his head and rested his chin on Noctis’ shoulder, before asking, “Hey, Noct?”

Noct paused his singing at the question, humming curiously as he turned his head to face Prompto.

“What do you normally do for fun back home?”

Noct hummed for a moment, thinking, before he said: “Riding… searching shells… just… swimming around, really…” He shrugged. “Sometimes I go see Levi… when she not in bad mood.”

“‘Levi’?” Prompto repeated. While the name initially didn’t mean anything to him, it didn’t take long for realization to hit him. “Wait, do you mean that sea dragon that nearly killed me the time you saved me?!”

“Hmhmm… Leviathan. She look after us. Protect us from fishers. But… very distrustful.”

Remembering how Leviathan had seemed intent on drowning him, despite Noctis’ arguments that time, the blonde could see that. “Hard to change her mind, huh?”

“Yeah… but she not bad. Just easy angry.”

Suddenly, Prompto’s phone rang, making him jump, before he dug it out of his pocket and answered it. “Hello?”

“ _Hey Prompto. Do you have a moment?_ ” came a familiar voice from the other side.

“Uh, yeah, sure! What’s up, Luna?” the blonde asked.

“ _Well, we haven’t seen each other in a while, so I was thinking we could meet up in Altissia in two days. Are you boys free then?_ ”

“Yeah, we’re free,” Prompto nodded. “Just meet in front of the Leville, then?”

“ _Actually, let’s meet at the arena. Oh and Prom?_ ”

“Hmm?”

“ _Make sure you boys bring your swimsuits._ ”

This drew a laugh from the smaller male. “Will do, Luna.”

Noct, of course, cocked his head at the laugh, curious.

“ _Okay. See you there._ ”

“See ya,” Prompto smiled, before hanging up and looking at Noctis. “Luna asked if we wanted to meet with her in two days, and I told her yes. Sounds like we’re going swimming, though.”

At those words, Noct’s eyes widened in surprise. “We are?”

“She told me to make sure we brought our swim trunks, so yeah,” the blonde chuckled.

At the confirmation, Noctis smiled as he settled back against Prompto. But then he turned a bit worried. “…is hard? For human to swim?”

“Nah, but it’ll be definitely different from how Mer swim,” Prompto replied, holding Noctis close.

Noct hummed curiously, but he said no more on the matter.

As he got himself comfy, though, he murmured: “Love you…”

“Love you, too, Noct,” the smaller male whispered.


	17. Diving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diving in can be good... but it doesn't have to be...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this took a while to write... and fair warning, this chapter's not gonna be pretty... Prom's going to be more than a little forceful here.

It was early in the morning when Noctis and Prompto made their way out from the small hotel room at Cape Caem to take the ferry to Altissia. They’d decided to go to Cape Caem the day before so that they’d be on time to catch the ferry to meet with Luna, so they didn’t waste the whole day. Noctis hadn’t been that opposed to the idea initially… until he had to wake up in the morning.

“Nrgh… why so early?” he whined as they walked along the docks toward the ferry, rubbing at his eyes.

“We gotta make sure we get to the ferry on time, Noct,” Prompto reminded him with a chuckle.

Noct grumbled something under his breath, but he said nothing else as they got aboard the ferry.

As they headed to Altissia, Prompto pressed himself close to Noctis, smiling softly. This made the raven hum softly as he rested his head on Prompto’s shoulder, eyes falling shut for a small nap.

Sensing that the raven was trying to nap, Prompto chuckled quietly, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend’s waist to keep him close.

“Mmm…” Noct hummed softly at the touch, moving closer to Prom instinctively.

When he did, Prompto decided that tonight, he was going to try to make love to Noctis, that way, their time together would be even more precious and valuable. Nothing could replace that. He would do his damnedest to ensure the raven wouldn’t become too scared, too.

 

Once they got to Altissia, they took the gondolas around the city until the arrived at the arena, which was one of the few places Noctis hasn’t seen yet.

“What they do here?” Noct asked as they were walking down the halls.

“People place bets on daemons in the arena, just to see which one will win,” Prompto replied, still unsure why Luna wanted to meet here. He didn’t exactly like the idea of the arena, even if daemons ARE evil.

“…so why here??” Noct asked.

“You got me there, Noct. Luna said to meet her here, so… yeah,” Prompto sighed.

It didn’t take them very long to figure it out, though. As they headed up the stairs to the stands, instead of being greeted by a large open arena, the building was filled up with water, turning it into a massive swimming pool.

The smaller male’s eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped. “What the hell??” he uttered, wondering how this had happened.

“Water…?” Noct asked, surprised.

“Prompto! Noctis!” a familiar voice suddenly called out, and when they looked over, they spotted Luna, already in the water, along with many other people who were happily enjoying the water, waving at them with a bright smile.

“Now I see why she said to bring swim trunks,” Prompto murmured, and then waved back before guiding Noctis to the swimming pool to greet her.

Noctis blinked as he walked after, as Luna swam over.

“Good morning,” she quipped with a giggle.

“Good morning to you, too. How’d you manage this one, Luna?” Prompto inquired.

“Oh it wasn’t me,” Luna admitted with a giggle. “The Secretary had it arranged because the summer was turning to be unbearable. They considered it to be too dangerous to go swimming in the sea around Altissia, so they had to think of something else.”

“Ah, okay,” the blonde nodded. “Well, we’ll get our trunks on, and be right back.” With that said, Prompto led Noctis to the nearest men’s room so they could change into the swim trunks he had packed in a duffle bag for them.

“Prom?” Noct as they were in there. “What is Secretary??”

“She’s kinda like the… leader, I guess, of Altissia. She makes sure the people are kept safe and comfortable here,” Prompto explained.

Noctis gave a small “ah”, nodding to show he understood.

“Let’s get changed into our swim trunks,” Prompto said, and then guided Noctis to a large stall where they could change together without being seen. The smaller male pulled out a pair of midnight blue swim trunks for Noctis, while Prompto had his own pair of black ones. “Get completely undressed, and put these on, okay?” Prompto told Noctis.

Noct cocked his head, before he shrugged and began to tug off his shirt. As he did, the blonde smiled, and pulled off his own shirt, before removing his boots and socks, tucking the socks into his boots. Once those were off, Prompto pulled off his pants and boxers, before quickly slipping on his trunks.

As he looked over, he saw that Noctis was also finishing pulling the trunks on, though he seemed a bit confused about the whole thing, still.

“There we go,” Prompto smiled. “I’ll keep our clothes in here so they stay dry and together.” As he spoke, he tucked their clothes into the duffle bag, and then took Noctis’ hand in his before leading him back to the pool, and setting their bag by the wall so it wouldn’t get wet.

Noctis nodded his head as he followed his boyfriend back to the pool.

“Hey, Luna!” Prompto called as they got close, the blonde moving to sit at the edge of the shallow end so Noctis could learn to swim as a human.

“Hey guys,” Luna said with a smile. “Looking good.”

That made Noctis cock his head curiously, but he didn’t say anything initially.

“I need to teach Noct how to swim as a human. Wanna help?” Prompto questioned.

“Oh yeah, sure. No problem,” Luna said with a smile as she moved over.

“Thanks,” the blonde smiled, before having Noctis sit beside him. “We’re gonna help you, Noct, okay? Just trust us.”

“…?”

“You need to know how to swim like a human for now,” Prompto elaborated. “So, Luna and I are gonna teach you.”

“…Kay,” Noctis murmured as he moved over and let himself slip into the water after Prompto.

“Okay, so humans swim by kicking with our feet. I’ll show you, and we’ll go from there, kay?” Prompto said, beginning to head into the deeper part of the pool.

“…?” Noct blinked curiously as he watched Prompto go, head tilted to the side.

“Just watch me, Noct!” Prompto called, before beginning to swim around the deep end of the pool.

Noctis didn’t speak as he watched Prompto moving through the water, using his arms and legs at the same time. The movement of the arms was actually fairly similar to when little Mer would start to swim on their own, trying to keep up better to their parents because their tails wouldn’t propel them as fast. But the leg movement looked a little weird… then again, he was used to a single limb below the waist, so he supposed he couldn’t talk about that.

“Do you think you can manage that, Noctis?” Luna asked then, making Noct look over.

He blinked, twice, before he looked down at the water quietly.

“Noctis?”

“You can do it, Noct,” Prompto encouraged.

The raven seemed to be thinking of something, before he suddenly took a deep breath – and abruptly dived under water.

“Wha?!”

But before Luna or Prompto could say anything, Noctis kicked off from the ground, moving himself forward with one sweep of his arms, with his legs kicking behind him. And while it was nowhere near the speed he’d get with his tail, it was definitely not bad.

Prompto laughed, but he was glad Noctis had taken to swimming like a human like…well, a fish to water.

After almost five minutes, Noctis came back above the water to take a gulp of air, breathing only slightly heavier, before he wiped his bangs out of his eyes.

Luna giggled before she said: “Well that took barely any time.”

“Good job, Noct!” Prompto praised, paddling over and kissing his cheek.

Noctis blinked before he shrugged, very easily keeping himself afloat by just kicking with his legs. “Not so hard… just different with two.”

“True,” the blonde shrugged, smiling.

“…Why swim above water?” Noct suddenly asked. “Faster under.”

“Not all of us can hold our breath as long as you can,” Prompto replied teasingly.

Noct rolled his eyes, before he took another breath and went under again. The smaller male watched him curiously from above, wondering just what his boyfriend was doing. Barely a minute later though, there was a sudden pull on his legs.

Prompto yelped, before looking down at his legs. When he did, he quickly spotted Noct, smirking at him – before he was pulled under.

The blonde quickly sucked in some air as he was pulled, just so he wouldn’t run out of it, and then looked at Noctis once he was under, quirking a brow at him curiously.

Noct merely smirked, before he suddenly swam closer and abruptly kissed his boyfriend. Prompto, although surprised by the kiss, didn’t pull away. In fact, he responded eagerly, pulling Noctis closer by wrapping his arms around the raven’s waist.

Noctis smiled into the kiss as he placed his hands along Prompto’s cheeks, pulling him in closer.

The smaller male slipped his tongue out to trace Noctis’ lip, attempting to deepen the kiss… but then the burning need for air hit and he was forced to pull away and quickly swim to the surface, gasping for air when he reached it.

It took a little longer for Noctis to come back up as well, and he was chuckling as he did. In response to that, Prompto actually pouted at his boyfriend, unable to speak just yet as he tried to catch his breath.

“Having fun, boys?” Luna laughed as she swam over.

“Just… trying not to… drown… Luna,” Prompto huffed, still breathing heavily.

Luna laughed at the quip. “Well, shall we just swim around for a little bit?” she offered.

“Sure,” Prompto nodded, before moving and pecking Noctis’ cheek.

Noctis chuckle a bit as he began to swim backwards, with almost no difficulty.

“Hey, wait for us, Noctis,” Luna quipped as she swam after him.

Prompto was quick to follow, taking in a breath before slipping beneath the water and darting after Noctis, and then poking him in the back from beneath him. This made Noct hum, glancing over, before he smirked and spun around, diving under after taking a breath.

The blonde quickly swam off, excitement coursing through him. He would have laughed, had they been above the water, just from the thrill. Before he could get too far, though, Noctis was suddenly right below him, smirking up at him, before he kicked at the water and shot ahead of him.

‘ _This is what I get for trying to swim with a Mer, even if he’s human right now,_ ’ the blonde thought, rolling his eyes. He then had to surface, and the need for air became too great.

“Hahah. Having fun, Prom?” Luna quipped as she swam after.

“Definitely,” Prompto smiled. “Didn’t think he would learn this quick, considering when he learned to walk, but then again, swimming is second-nature to him.”

“Of course,” Luna said with a smile as Noctis briefly came back above the water, taking a gulp of air, before he went back under, perfectly in his element.

“Oh yeah,” Prompto said suddenly. “Where’s Ravus at, anyway?”

“Ah, he passed on coming out. He’s not much into swimming,” Luna said with a small shrug as she swam along.

“He doesn’t strike me as much of an aquatic guy, so I can understand,” Prompto smirked, laughing.

Luna giggled, watching as Noct once more came up and then went under again. “So…” she said suddenly. “How are you two holding up?”

“We’ve been good,” Prompto replied, smiling brightly. “Got to take Noct to see the Chocobos at Wiz’s place.”

“Ooh. How did he do with Chocobos? I’m assuming that must’ve been different, right?”

“Yeah. He was scared at first, but it seems Lizzy helped him to get over the fear,” he told her.

“That’s good to know,” Luna said with a smile, before she turned serious. “How much longer do you have?”

“After today, only two…” Prompto sighed, lowering his gaze. “I’m trying not to dwell on it, for his sake, but I know it’ll be difficult to keep our relationship going after he goes back…”

“I can only imagine…” Luna murmured, before she smiled. “I’m sure it’ll work out in the end, though.”

“I know, just hard to figure out /how/, though…”

Just then, Noct came back up, and this time, he actually staid above the water for a moment more, wiping his hair out of his face.

“Having fun?” Prompto asked, smiling at Noctis.

Noctis smiled with a nod of his head, as he waited for the two blondes to catch up to him. Prompto chuckled as he paddled over, getting close enough to the raven to kiss his cheek again. Luna giggled as Noctis blinked curiously, before he returned the favor, not seeming to care that Luna was watching them. She couldn’t help but think they were really cute together.

She hoped that they could find a way to stay together.

 

After hours of just swimming around and having general fun, they were forced to get out before they’d end up turning into the prunes. Noctis seemed to be most resistant to it, but that wasn’t really unexpected. Once they’d dried off and redressed, the group of three walked around Altissia to enjoy themselves around town, munching on a light lunch as they went.

And before they’d even noticed, it was already time for dinner. Which they had at the Leville together, before they each went their separate ways again.

 

“Good night, boys. I’ll see you in the morning,” Luna said with a small wave.

“See you in the morning, Luna,” Prompto smiled as he wrapped his arm around Noctis’ waist.

“Good night,” Noctis repeated, waving as well as Luna headed to her own room.

“Let’s go to our room,” Prompto murmured once his friend had gone into her room.

“Okay,” the ex-Mer said as he followed after Prompto.

Once they got to their room and had settled in the bed for the night, Prompto pressed himself close to Noctis, kissing him lovingly. Noctis hummed softly in confusion at the sudden kiss, but he didn’t protest as he kissed back with a soft hum.

Prompto slowly wrapped his arms around Noctis’ waist, smoothing his hands up and down along the raven’s back as he kissed his boyfriend tenderly. However, the touch to his back immediately had Noct tensing, and he broke away to push at Prompto’s chest.

“Noct… Trust me, I won’t hurt you,” Prompto whispered, a hurt note to his voice.

Noctis looked up at Prompto, startled, before he frowned sadly. “I… I trust you… but…”

“I love you so much, and I want to _show_ you just how much you mean to me…” the blonde murmured.

“I…” Noctis tried to talk, but his words got caught in his throat.

Refusing to let this go, Prompto pulled Noctis close again, kissing at his neck sensually.

“A-ah…!?” Noct choked out, before he feebly pushed at Prompto’s chest again. “Pr-Prom…!”

“I want to make you feel good,” the blonde insisted, his breath ghosting hotly over Noctis’ pale skin.

The ex-Mer choked as his fingers instinctively curled into Prompto’s shirt, before his bit his lip and tried, once again, to push Prompto away from him.

However, the smaller male persisted, lapping at his boyfriend’s neck and suckling gently.

“Pr-Prom… n-no… st-stop…” Noctis choked out, even though his body was instinctively responding to the stimulus.

Prompto didn’t seem to hear him, though, as he continued his ministrations, trailing along to Noctis’ collarbone. His hands slid up and down along Noctis’ back sensually, slowly relaxing the tense muscles there.

Whimpering from the back of his throat, Noctis’ entire frame trembled, but it wasn’t clear if it was because of pleasure or fear, or maybe a combination of the two. He couldn’t get any words out anymore, as his fingers helplessly clawed at Prompto’s shoulders, only managing to wail pathetically.

Prompto softly shushed his boyfriend, kissing at Noctis’ throat now, and he slipped his hands beneath the raven’s shirt, still rubbing at his back.

“Ahh!!” Noct gasped out, before he choked on a whimper. “Pr… Prom…!”

“I love you so damn much,” the blonde growled softly, nipping at the pale skin of Noctis’ throat.

Noct tried to speak – only to cry out as Prompto’s fingers pinched his nipple. “A-aahhh…!”

Prompto shivered at the cry, feeling himself hardening in his underwear from the sounds Noctis was making. He was glad he’d chosen to go with just his boxer briefs as his bottoms tonight; that way things could go more smoothly. The smaller male then slid Noctis’ shirt up, exposing his stomach and chest, and he moved his head so he could tease the raven’s nipples, which he did by closing his lips around one.

Noctis cried out at the tingling sensations that made his entire body tremble. The pleasure was almost suffocating him, and he whimpered as he tried to grab Prompto’s head, with every intention of pushing him away. But his body refused to do as his mind was telling it, and instead curled the fingers in Prompto’s hair, tugging and pulling as he whined.

Prompto swirled his tongue sensually around the nipple in his mouth, humming pleasantly at the slightly salty taste.

“Pr…Prom…” Noctis gasped out, eyelids flickering with his fingers clutching at Prom’s scalp as his back instinctively arched into the touch. And as Prom looked up, he spotted the now glowing violet irises staring out unseeing from under hooded lids.

The blonde shivered at the glow in Noctis’ eyes, and even then, he continued to pleasure his boyfriend, switching to his other nipple while his hand teased the first. Noctis gave a pathetic wail as his fingers clawed at Prom’s scalp, the glow in his eyes growing more intense.

Prompto finally released Noctis’ nipple, before trailing heated, wet kisses down his chest and stomach and to his pants line.

A sliver of panic flashed across Noct’s face then, and he choked out what could’ve been Prompto’s name, as he tried to push at the blonde’s shoulders.

“Sssh…” Prompto shushed softly, fingers trailing along the raven’s sides to the edge of his pants. “It’s alright… let me love you.”

“N-no…!” Noct gasped out, and – with a sudden burst of power – shoved Prompto away from him and scampered back until he was almost at the edge of the bed, where he curled up swiftly. //No no no no no no…//

Startled by the severe reaction, Prompto scooted over carefully. “Noct…” he whispered, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

Noctis flinched at the touch and tried to scamper further away – only to yowl as he almost fell off the bed, if Prompto hadn’t grabbed him and pulled him up against himself. As he realized this, the former Mer tensed and began to try and push back against Prompto, but the blonde held vast despite his smaller frame.

“Noct… it’s okay,” he shushed, beginning to plant gentle kisses along Noct’s face as he rubbed his back, repeating over and over that it was okay. Once he had calmed somewhat, he murmured: “I love you, Noct… I love you…”

“Pr-Prom…” Noctis choked out, just before Prompto kissed him deeply. Whimpering, he tried to push Prompto away again, because he couldn’t do this… he couldn’t…!

But then Prompto’s hand pressed down along his crotch and all thought was thrown out the proverbial window as he gasped and arched into the touch. Smiling into the kiss at the honest response from Noct’s body, Prompto moved his hand aa little firmer along his clothed manhood. As he nipped at Noct’s bottom lip, he moved his finger along his boyfriend’s cock, pressing firmly, which had Noct mewling and bucking into his touch.

“Pr…om…!”

“I love you, Noct,” Prompto whispered against his boyfriend’s lips, as he gently rolled Noct onto his back, never ceasing the movement of his hand along Noct’s hardening manhood. “I love you so… _so_ much.”

Noct tried to speak, to say no or even push him away, but every time he tried, Prompto touched him _just_ so that all reason fled from his mind and the only things escaping his mouth were moans and whimpers of Prompto’s name. He couldn’t even muster a complaint when Prompto pulled back to tug off his shirt, only managing a low moan as the blonde suckled and licked at his nipples again, one by one.

“Pro…om…”

Prompto gently shushed him as he moved back temporarily to pull his own shirt off, before moving in and once again his way down Noct’s chest, licking along the pale skin, as one hand continued to rub and tease along his cock through the material of his pants. Noct’s hands were on his shoulders, and though they were pushing, they lacked the force they once had. And the fact that Noct was whimpering and moaning only served to urge Prompto on, licking the skin just above the hem of his pants.

“I love you,” Prom murmured against Noct’s skin, the vibration of the words making Noct mewl softly. The smaller male moaned from the back of his throat as he worked on the button and zipper of Noct’s pants. Noctis whimpered and choked out a word he didn’t understood, in Mer, he believed, but whatever he said, he didn’t listen as he linked his fingers around the hem of his pants.

“ _F…fyed…_ ” Noct choked out, barely, switching to his own language instinctively as Prompto tugged the pants away. “ _Pr…om… h-hu… bmayca hu…_ ”

The words were alien to Prom, and so he didn’t react to them as he pulled the pants down to his thighs. And then, just as Noct’s fingers tightened around his shoulders, he moved and mouthed the raven’s half-hard cock through his underwear.

Noctis almost howled at the surge of… he wasn’t sure _what_ that was, but his body knew one thing for sure; it wanted _more!_

“P-Prom…!” he managed to gasp out pathetically, his hands moving from Prompto’s shoulders to his head, nails dragging along the scalp.

The blonde caught the hint of desperation in the single exclamation and he smiled softly, as he continued to place hot, open mouthed kissed along the clothed flesh. A groan of his own slipped out from his mouth as he felt the raven’s cock hardening further under his ministrations, until it was straining against the silk fabric. And with Noct’s fingers digging even harder into his scalp, pushing him further against him rather than away, he knew he had to move on.

Moving back slightly, despite the pathetic whine coming from Noctis, Prom curled his fingers around the edge of his underwear, tugging it down and away as well. The sight of Noct’s heavy, throbbing cock, Prompto almost moaned, his mouth watering to the point where he fear he’d be openly drooling. So, after licking his lips (just to be sure he wasn’t), he opened his mouth wide and ducked his head down.

Noct wasn’t sure what kind of noise he made then, but he was pretty sure it was not a sound he’d ever made as his body arched off the bed into the tight, wet heat of Prompto’s mouth. He also knew his eyes were open, and yet he couldn’t see anything. He felt his fingers coiling in Prompto’s hair, and his fingers curling against the mattress. Was he whining? He wasn’t sure, but he was making _some_ sort of noise, for sure… but lord knows if he knew what it was; his brain wasn’t working as it should.

Prompto, meanwhile, moaned helplessly at the combination of desperate tugging on his hair and the sounds Noct was making. The poor raven’s body was trembling and was no longer fighting against him, which allowed Prom to slip off the taller male’s pants and underwear fully, letting his fingers trail along the pale skin of his thighs, teasing gently. As Prom moved back slightly while licking along the base, Noct released a sound almost like a wail as his hips snapped up, nearly choking Prompto, but the blonde relaxed his throat as best as he could, letting his boyfriend fuck his face almost desperately.

As he did, though, he reached down for his own pants and struggled to undo his own pants, shoving them off as fast as he could without actually pulling away from what he was doing. A choked moan (muffled as it was) escaped him as his own, by now painfully hard, erection was released from its restraining clothes. He gave himself a few quick, messy strokes to take the edge off (just a little), coating his fingers in the precum dripping from it, before he put his hands to Noct’s hips, pinning them to the bed, and then paused his movement, pulling away with a shameless plopping sound.

“A…ah…?” Noct blinked wearily, trying to move to look at Prompto with his irises glowing a deep violet hue, but he could barely lift his head, let alone move his body. And when Prompto moved in to kiss him again, all he could do was mewl pathetically as his eyes slipped shut again, his arms curling around the blonde’s shoulders as he kissed him back, moaning at the subtle taste that Noct didn’t want to think on for too long.

His head was screaming at him that this had to stop and that it had to stop _now_ , but his body just wasn’t responding as it should. It wasn’t listening to anything other than its own instincts… that primal urge that demanded _more_ …

Groaning heavily into the kiss, Prompto moved his hands down Noctis’ sides, rubbing his thumbs along the sharp hipbones, to ease his boyfriend’s nerves further. And only when Noct moaned heavily into his mouth, arching up into the slight teasing touches to his thighs did he reach for the raven’s cock, curling his fingers around the throbbing flesh.

Noct wailed as he broke away from the kiss, gasping out what almost sounded like the blonde’s name, but it broke before the first syllable had left his mouth. And as Prompto began to move his fingers firmly but slowly, he choked on a cry as his hips snapped up instinctively, indistinguishable words tumbling from his mouth as he bumped into Prompto, making the blonde groan at the sensation.

“F-fuck… N-Noct…” Prompto gasped out, ducking his head to bite and nip along throat. Noctis whined at the nips, tilting his head to the side to give him more room to work with, while his nails dragged along the blonde’s back. Moaning at the scratching and the by now almost constant bucking from Noct’s hips, Prompto finally let his other hand slip down, still coated in precum, and slowly pressed forward, forcing his eyes to open and watch Noct for any discomfort.

“ _Aaah!_ ” Noct’s eyes snapped open at the prod, and his body tensed briefly, but because Prom was still rubbing along his flesh _and_ suckling on his throat, the sound quickly turned into a wanton moan, as his eyes slipped shut halfway, irises flickering between blue and violet like a strobe light.

When he was sure Noct was okay, Prom slipped the finger further in, listening carefully to any sounds of discomfort. But Noct was moaning and whimpering, the words sounding jumbled and unintelligible. In fact, he even pushed up his legs and moved them further apart, arching into the probing finger, and all the more when Prom slipped the second in.

“ _Pr…Prom… bmayca… hu suna… E… E lyhhud…_ ” he choked out, as Prom scissored his fingers gently, just before he pressed in deeper and he cried out, arching up, eyes wide and unseeing. “A-ah…?!”

Smirking softly, Prom repeated the motion again, and Noct mewled pathetically, bucking almost desperately, a jumble of unintelligible words slipping from his throat, and his entire body trembled as his nails dragged along Prom’s back harshly.

Once he was sure the raven was ready, he pulled his hands away and moved closer, turning Noct’s head and kissing him deeply as he lifted one of his legs by the knee.

“Just relax, Noct… it’s okay…” he breathed against his lips as he settled there.

“ _H-hu… Prom…_ ” Noct moaned heavily, nails digging into the blonde’s shoulders. “ _Bmayca… cd…cdub…_ ”

“I love you, Noct…” Prom whispered against his lips, before he moved in.

Noctis choked on what could’ve been a scream, but it came out garbled and completely unrecognizable, as his body tensed so sharply that it was a miracle he didn’t pull a muscle. ‘ _N-no…! N-no no… a-ah…!_ ’

Prompto groaned as he held as still as possible, for Noct’s sake, despite how his body demanded he start moving into the tight heat surrounding his cock. He had to bite his lip to keep his head screwed on straight, before he opened his eyes and looked at his boyfriend… and was shocked to see tears gathering in the paler man’s eyes, a choked sob escaping him as his body trembled. He shushed the raven gently when he began to gasp for breath, tears rolling down his cheeks, and then began kissing him along his face to lick them up and murmuring soft words of comfort and taking hold of one hand firmly, rubbing his thumb along the side.

Once he had managed to calm down, Prompto smiled softly at his boyfriend, kissing him again, before he slowly – so slowly – began to move. Noct gave a sound akin to a mewl at the movement, squeezing his eyes shut as he continued to gasp for air, clawing at Prom’s back while the other clung tightly to Prom’s. But then Prompto shifted his angle (just slightly), and his eyes shot open with a cry of pleasure, irises alight as the pupils contracted to mere pinpricks of black in a sea of violet.

“ _Pr-Prompto…!_ ” he got out amidst his gasps, and Prompto groaned at the desperation in Noct’s voice. “ _Ykyeh… bmayca… ykyeh…!_ ”

Though he didn’t understand the words, the desperation behind it, and the pull along his back from Noct’s arm was enough of a hint to Prompto. So, after nodding once, he began to move faster, striking the raven’s ‘feel good’ spot over and over again.

Noctis cried and moaned as pleasure rushed up his spinal cord, his body arching in tandem with Prompto against his will. He wasn’t even sure what he was saying (if he was saying anything, at all), but it didn’t matter. Especially when Prompto reached out and began to stroke him in time with his thrusts, making him want to scream in pleasure, but his voice cracked and broke off, his nails tearing through the skin of Prompto’s back. He recognized the feeling coiling in the pit of his stomach, and he tried to warn Prompto, but it didn’t work out that way. He barely got out a strangled cry, just before his release hit him, _hard_.

Prompto choked as the raven tightened around him, and he whimpered at the sound, barely managing two more thrusts before his own release hit him, filling up his boyfriend.

Noctis gasped at the heat filling him, and he gave a small, pitiful whine… before his eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp, arm slipping off from Prompto’s shoulders and his fingers unclenching from around his hand.

Prompto pulled out carefully, hoping he hadn't hurt the raven, before pulling Noctis close to him as he settled back down in the bed. He kissed Noctis' forehead tenderly, whispering: "I love you..." to him before falling asleep after pulling the blanket over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy... Told ya it wouldn't be pretty.


	18. Salted Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salt water doesn't just flow in the ocean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!! Have your tissues at the ready!

Once morning arrived, Prompto was the first to wake, and he wasn’t too surprised to find Noctis still fast asleep in his arms. However, he knew they needed to get up for breakfast, so he tucked his head into the raven’s pale throat, nuzzling him gently.

“Noct…time to wake up,” he murmured.

Noctis groaned softly at the words, shivering slightly, as he struggled against awareness. It was quite clear that he had NO desire to wake up.

“Come on, Noct. We need to get some food,” the blonde whispered, moving his head and kissing his boyfriend’s chin.

“…nnngh…” The ex-Mer groaned in annoyance, before he slowly blinked his eyes open. “…wha…?”

“Good morning, Noct,” Prompto smiled softly in greeting.

“…mor…ning…?” Noct mumbled, a hint of confusion in his gaze, as if he wasn’t aware where he was.

“Yup. We need to get dressed after a shower, and then get some breakfast,” Prompto chuckled.

“…” Noct blinked sleepily for a moment, before he groaned and rubbed at his eyes, grumbling in annoyance… before he suddenly froze and his eyes snapped open as something suddenly dawned on him. “…!”

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked worriedly.

//…oh god… no…!// he choked out, covering his mouth as the little color he had drained from his face. He began to tremble then, choking out things in Mer so fast that Prom couldn’t differentiate one word from the next.

“What…what’s wrong, Noct?” the smaller male frowned, now very concerned for the raven.

But Noct didn’t appear to have heard him, as tears began to gather in the corners of his eyes.

“Noct…?” Prompto whispered, reaching up and placing a hand on his cheek.

The moment his hand touched him, though, Noct’s gaze snapped up in alarm – before it hardened and he abruptly slapped the hand aside, shouting: “DON’T TOUCH ME!!”

Immediately, Prompto’s expression was incredibly hurt as he withdrew his hand, not understanding.

“Why… Why did you… I told you STOP!! Why did you… WHY!?” Noctis demanded, his eyes flaring from blue to violet – and then brightening further to border on red.

“Noct… I…I’m sorry… I just…” the blonde mumbled, pulling away.

“Just WHAT?! How hard to understand ‘NO’!?” Noctis demanded, his tears slipping out from his eyes as he shouted.

“…I wanted to show you how much I love you…” Prompto whimpered, tears of his own beginning to form.

Noctis watched him for a moment, his eyes flickering briefly, as if he was calming down… but no. “…that your excuse?!” he hissed icily.

“I’m so sorry, Noct…” Prompto whispered.

Noct bit his lip sharply, then, stopping himself from saying anything else, before he rolled out of bed and, without looking back, snagged up his clothes, after which he almost sprinted to the bathroom. Before Prompto could say anything else, the door was slammed shut, and then clicked into the lock.

Once he was inside, Prompto shuddered heavily as he inhaled deeply…right before a heart-wrenching sob escaped him. And it wasn’t the last one; he laid himself down again, burying his face in the pillow as he cried, feeling like his heart was being crushed in his ribcage. He didn’t want to lose Noctis… especially over something like this…

But it looked like he might just…

 

Little did Prompto know, though, that Noctis was on the verge of crying as well, biting back sobs as he leaned against the door, his entire frame shuddering as he squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. However, they kept slipping out from under his lids, and his breathing was starting to pick up, too.

The raven tried to take several deep breaths, to keep himself calm (which wasn’t working), as he dropped his clothes on the ground and moved to the shower. He didn’t even wait for the water to heat up as he stepped in, before he lowered himself down to his knees, settling on the ground under the spray.

‘ _Why…?_ ’ Noctis’ breath picked up as his thoughts wandered, salty tears rolling down his cheeks, washed away by the water of the shower. ‘ _Why did this have to happen…? Why? I was… we were… doing so well… Why…? Why was it not enough…? Why…?_ ’

 

Eventually, Prompto managed to stop crying, though he still sniffled as he got dressed, feeling like a complete ass. He had _never_ intended to hurt Noctis, and didn’t realize the raven would be so angry and hurt by what he had done. Sighing shakily, he ordered them some breakfast, forcing himself to put up the cheerful facade, and then decided he should try to get Noctis out of the bathroom so the raven could eat.

Knocking on the door, he called: “Noct…? Breakfast is going to be up soon… And I know you need to eat…”

“…” No response came from the bathroom, though. In fact the only thing he could hear was the running water of the shower, and nothing else.

“Noct?” Prompto called, a bit louder this time.

“…”

“Noct…I don’t know what else to say other than I’m so so SO sorry… I never, _ever_ intended to upset you last night, and I don’t want to lose you, especially not like this… We only have today and tomorrow until you have to go back… Can we please make up, somehow…?” Prompto pleaded against the door, hoping his boyfriend would hear him.

“…go away…”

“Noct, please…I’m truly sorry…” Prompto whimpered.

“…leave me alone…”

“Okay…” Prompto sighed miserably, stepping away from the door and giving Noctis some space. He just hoped they could get through this…

 

When Noctis was sure the human was away from the door, he took a deep breath and pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping them around the knees as he’d often done with his tail when he was upset at one thing or another. But this was so much worse than any of the times before. None of those times had any real consequences… not ones that would come to haunt him later on. This did, though, and as the realization of this hit him (and hit him hard), he buried his face in his knees, sobbing quietly.

‘What am I going to do…? I… I can’t… I can’t do this… I can’t…’

 

Then there was a knock at their room door, so Prompto went and answered it, discovering their breakfast had arrived. He quietly thanked the hotel worker, closed the door, and then set the tray on the bed before trying to get Noctis out of the bathroom again.

“Noct…? Breakfast is here…” he called softly.

There was no response, though; the only sound that could be heard from beyond the door was that of the shower running… initially.

Concerned, Prompto pressed his ear to the door. As he listened carefully, he could hear soft, muffled sobs, hidden mostly by the sound of the shower running. Instantly, immense guilt pierced through Prompto’s heart. He never wanted this to happen…

Worried about his boyfriend, Prompto grabbed a coin from his pocket and stuck it into the wedge of the lock to try and unlock it from the outside. Finally, with a bit of patience, he managed it, and opened the door.

The first thing he noticed was that it was shockingly cold in the room. Noct had clearly not turned the warm water on when stepping into the shower. Because of that, it didn’t take long for Prompto to spot the raven… sitting against the wall with his legs pulled up to his chest and his head buried into his knees.

“Noct…?” Prompto called softly, not wanting to anger the raven further.

“…!” Noct tensed in alarm at the call, but he refused to look up. If anything, he tucked his head even further in his knees.

“I’m honestly, truly sorry… I don’t want to lose you, especially like this…” Prompto murmured, taking a couple of steps closer.

“…j…just go away…”

“Noct… I can’t… Knowing it’s my fault you’re this angry with me…it hurts so bad, and I never wanted to hurt you…”

Noct didn’t say anything in response; though he did try to stifle a whimper against his knee. Which didn’t work as well as he’d hoped.

“Noct… what can I do to make this a little better?” Prompto asked, despair in his voice.

Noct didn’t speak. He only shook his head briefly, mumbling something in Mer that Prom didn’t catch.

“Noct… you’re going to freeze to death if you continue to sit under the cold water like that…” Prompto murmured, going over and turning off the shower. “You need to eat, or else you’ll starve, too… Please come eat…”

“…I don’t want any…” the Mer whispered without looking up.

“But…”

“…just leave me alone…”

“Noct, I already told you, I can’t. Not when it’s my fault you’re this upset…”

“…please just… just leave me a… alone…” the raven choked out amidst his barely contained sobs.

“I won’t…”

The raven didn’t say anything else. He did, however, start to tremble as his grip on his knees tightened considerably.

“Here,” Prompto said softly, grabbing a bath towel and carefully placing it over Noctis’s shoulder. “You’re going to freeze at this rate…”

“…” Noct refused to speak or even look up, though he did huddle under the towel a little bit.

“Noct… What can I do, other than leave you alone?” the blonde asked quietly as he sat on the toilet lid.

“…nothing…” Noct whimpered out. //…nothing… can’t do anything… nothing _can_ be done… nothing… nothing…//

Biting his lip nervously, Prompto then got up and quickly stepped into the shower, carefully seating himself behind Noctis and gently pulling him close, pressing his forehead against the raven’s back between his shoulder blades.

Gasping in surprise, Noct tensed in alarm, before he tried to break free. “L-let…go…!”

“I’m just trying to comfort you, Noct…” Prompto murmured, not letting go.

Noct whimpered as he tried to get out of the hold, but he was just too exhausted from all of his crying earlier.

“Noct, I’m so sorry… I _never_ intended to hurt you…” Prompto whispered, tears beginning to flow from his own eyes as well.

Eventually, Noctis stopped struggling, but he still refused to look up or turn around to face the blonde.

“I understand that you’re mad at me… But I can’t afford to lose you… Not like this…”

“…”

“I can’t stand it if you were to go back home…and you’re still this mad at me… I would understand…but it would break me, Noct…”

Noctis didn’t say anything in response, his body still trembling, as his hand curled into a fist against the tiles.

After that, Prompto remained quiet, simply holding Noctis, despite his own soft sobs into the raven’s back.

“…why…?”

“…I don’t have a good reason, other than I wanted to love you physically…” the blonde breathed. “It’s a shit reason, I know…”

“…why was not enough what we had? …why?”

“I…wanted to make our time together special and memorable, you know?” Prompto sighed shakily, hoping he wouldn’t upset his boyfriend further.

“…” Noct merely breathed heavily for a few moments, before he hiccupped. “…I can’t… go back…”

“But… What about your time limit? Don’t get me wrong, I’d love for you to stay, but I don’t want you to get in trouble or be in danger…” the smaller male frowned slightly, holding Noctis a little closer.

“…can’t… I-I need to… but I can’t… I can’t… I can’t…”

“You need to go home, though… Your father’s worried about you, and I’ll bet all of your friends miss you…” Prompto whispered, nuzzling Noctis’ back gently.

“…but… I can’t…” Noct choked out, as he slipped his hand around, to rest along his stomach, trembling.

“Why not?” Prompto asked softly.

“…can’t… I… I can’t…” Noct choked out, his trembling growing more profound as another sob escaped him.

“Noct… I’m so sorry…”

The raven in his arms didn’t respond; he only whimpered as he curled up even further (if that was even possible), quiet sobs escaping his throat.

Finally, Prompto let go of Noctis, before gently turning him around and pulling him in for a proper hug. For a moment, Noct looked like he was about to push away again… but in the end he took in a shuddering breath and broke down, bawling into the blonde’s chest. Prompto merely held Noctis close, rubbing his back and soothing him as best as he could.

After what felt like hours, but what was really just a few minutes, Noct finally calmed down enough to stop crying. However, he never once removed his hand from where it rested along his stomach. Not wanting to upset him further, however, Prompto never once questioned him about it. In his mind, it could be just something Mer do, and he wasn’t about to question that.

Even though Noct’d stopped crying, though, the man refused to say a word, or even lift his head. Taking his chances now, the smaller male lightly tightened his grip on Noctis, simply keeping him close. And while the Mer didn’t say anything, he didn’t move away from the blonde’s hold.

“Noct…? Would you like me to get our breakfast?” Prompto finally asked gently, resisting the urge to nuzzle Noctis’ cheek.

“…dun wan…”

“You need to eat though, Noct,” the blonde whispered, giving in and resting his chin on the raven’s head.

“…” Noctis bit his lip, before he sighed heavily and slowly nodded his head once.

“Good,” Prompto smiled. “I’ll go prepare some fresh clothes while you dry off, okay?”

A nod was his only response.

Hesitantly, Prompto slowly let go of Noctis, before getting to his feet and leaving the bathroom to retrieve his boyfriend’s clothes, keeping the door open just in case. It took a few moments, but, finally, Noct walked out of the room, keeping his gaze aimed at the floor and keeping the towel secured around his waist.

The smaller male exhaled quietly in relief when he did, before going over to him with his clothes. “Let’s get you dressed, hmm?” he murmured, smoothing his hands over Noctis’ arms soothingly.

Noct almost jumped back entirely, but he managed to hold back, though he still refused to look up.

“I’m so sorry, Noct…” Prompto whispered, noticing the restrained jump as his gaze saddened. “I… I hope that somehow… you can forgive me, even if it takes time…”

“……” Noct didn’t speak up. He merely stood there as he got dressed slowly.

The blonde sighed miserably, the guilt of the situation hitting him once again, hard. Instead of speaking any more, however, he grabbed their breakfast tray, and set it on the bed so Noctis could at least eat his fill on the bed. As an afterthought, he snagged his phone so he could text Luna and tell her that today wasn’t exactly a good day, and that Noctis and himself were going to stay in for the day.

As Noctis ate quietly, he still refused to look up… or remove his hand from his stomach.

Finally, since Prompto was becoming more worried about the raven, he paused in his text to Luna and asked: “Noct? Does your stomach hurt?”

“…” Noct quietly shook his head.

“…Then how come you have your hand on your stomach like that?”

“……”

“Sorry, I won’t pry…” the smaller male mumbled, as he didn’t want to further upset Noctis.

Whether Noctis appreciated the thought or not wasn’t entirely clear. He just ate in silence, his bangs effectively hiding his eyes. Sighing shakily, Prompto finished typing out his text to Luna, and then sent it, before moving to sit by Noctis.

As he did, Noctis still refused to look up, as he finished off his breakfast in total silence.

Sighing quietly, Prompto then decided to tuck into his own breakfast, even though he really wasn’t hungry at the moment. Noct, of course, didn’t respond as he scooted back and rolled over onto the bed, facing away from Prompto.

As Prompto ate, he hoped Noctis would eventually forgive him, especially before they had to part ways when the raven returned home. When the blonde finished his breakfast, finally, Noctis was still lying on his side, completely unmoving.

Prompto was sorely tempted to lie with Noctis, just to comfort him, but had a strong feeling his boyfriend wouldn’t like it. Sighing shakily, he remained where he was.

As he sat there, though, he picked up a quiet humming sound, coming from the ex-Mer. Prompto perked up, listening carefully and as he slowly turned to Noct, the humming shifted into quiet singing, but it was different from all of the other songs Noct had sung until then.

The smaller male frowned sadly as he listened. As he watched his boyfriend, though, he realized that, even as he sang, Noct kept his hand placed upon his stomach. The blonde wasn’t sure why Noctis kept his hand on his stomach like that, but had a feeling that if he asked, he’d either get silence or he’d upset Noctis further.

Eventually, the song seemed to end, but instead of leaving it at that, Noctis began the song again.

“…Noct…? Can we talk?” Prompto finally asked quietly.

Noct stopped singing almost immediately, but he didn’t speak right after, nor did he turn to face Prompto. “…what about?”

“About last night…”

“…don’t wanna…”

“I’m honestly sorry about it, though… And I want you to know that,” Prompto sighed.

“…what that going to change?” Noct murmured.

“What?”

“…won’t change… I can’t… if I go… I…”

“What will happen if you go home, Noct…?”

“…” Noct shook his head as he curled up into himself. “ _Drao femm dyga res yfyo vnus sa… E lyhhud…_ ”

“Noct…”

Noct didn’t seem to have heard him, as he instead curled up into a ball, continuing to mumble in Mer almost endlessly.

Furrowing his brows in concern, Prompto reached out, and pulled Noctis close, hugging him in a comforting manner. While Noctis tensed at the hug initially, he didn’t pull away, though he refused to turn around.

Feeling a stab of guilt, Prompto placed one of his hands over Noctis’ stomach, trying to help him. This actually had Noct freezing up entirely and he even stopped mumbling. Before Prompto could say anything, though, Noct’s fingers slowly moved to rest over his, trembling.

The blonde lightly tightened his grip on Noctis, and murmured, “I love you, no matter what.”

“…I know…” Noct breathed out, his fingers curling around Prompto’s.

Prompto merely held Noctis close, not saying anything more.

“…Prompto…?”

“Hmm?”

“…sorry…”

“It’s okay, Noct,” Prompto murmured.

There was no immediate response from Noct. After a few moments more, though, he entwined his hand with Prompto’s. And Prompto smiled softly at the gesture, pleased.

After what felt like ages, Noct then took hold of Prompto’s other hand with his other hand and held it firmly, pressing it close as his body trembled subtly.

“Shhh…” Prompto gently shushed his boyfriend, attempting to calm him down.

Noctis took a trembling breath… but halfway it broke into a choked hiccup.

“Hey…it’s going to be okay,” Prompto soothed, pulling Noctis a bit closer while lightly tightening his grip on the raven.

But Noct shook his head swiftly, disagreeing silently as he brought Prom’s fingers to his mouth. Wondering what Noctis was up to, Prompto let him do as he pleased. Which wasn’t even much; he merely pressed a kiss along the digits… and that was it.

“I love you,” Prompto whispered.

“…love you, too…” Noct whispered, his hot breath ghosting over Prom’s fingers.

This drew a small shiver from the blonde, but he remained still, for Noctis’ sake. Noct didn’t seem aware of it. Or if he was, he didn’t show it.

“…Are you still mad at me, Noct…?” Prompto finally dared to ask.

“…yes,” Noct admitted.

This caused the smaller male to sigh heavily, but he didn’t say anything else.

“…but…”

“Hmm?”

“…don’t hate you…”

Prompto felt a bit of relief at the words, before hugging Noctis a bit closer.

The Mer closed his eyes as he laid there, trying to keep his breathing even despite his turbulent thoughts. And as he laid there in silence and thought, he slowly realized that no one had to know this had happened. If he played this right, no one would know…

He just had to plan this properly… because he was NOT going to give up what he knew was already forming within him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of; I apologize for the long time in between updates. Without going into detail, there's been a lot of shit going on in real life, and it took a while to get things sorted out to a bit of normalcy.  
> Second, I apologize for coming back with this tearjerker, but this subject HAD to be tackled, of course.
> 
> And, small spoiler, it's going to get worse before it gets better...


	19. Plans Coming Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are always important to have... for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry about the lack of updates... lot of RL shit's been going on, and it took a while to get things back on the proper track.

Noct wasn’t sure if he’d dozed off or if he just closed his eyes to think for a few minutes, but when he opened his eyes again, the once firm grip Prompto had had on him had slackened, and the deep, even breathing against the back of his neck indicated that the blonde was asleep. When this knowledge hit him, Noct realized that this was a good time.

Carefully, he moved Prompto’s arms away from him and then scooted off the bed, taking care not to wake his boyfriend. He had to fix this before the blonde woke up and could figure out what was wrong.

So, as quietly as possible, Noctis moved toward the door, where he tugged on his shoes. Once he had them secured and he looked (mostly) presentable, he walked out the door, closing it softly behind him. He didn’t need Prompto finding him early, and while he knew he couldn’t open the door without Prompto’s help, it was fine. He’d just wait in the… it was called the lobby, was it?… he’d wait there when he was ready to go back up.

When Noctis arrived in the lobby, it was, thankfully, mostly vacant. That was good; because he certainly didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

“Noctis?”

Upon the call, Noctis froze and bit back a groan at the call. He knew he couldn’t ignore it, too, because he’d already been spotted. So, he took a deep breath and turned around from where he had been on the verge of opening the door.

“Luna,” he said as the blonde woman walked over.

Luna smiled at the greeting, before she turned serious/worried. “Where are you going? I without you and Prompto were staying in today…”

Noct didn’t answer immediately, as he tried to keep his expression neutral. And at the same time, he was cursing at Prompto for somehow getting that message to Luna. After almost a minute he was able to get the proper words he needed out.

“Just… need some air…” he said, speaking slowly so that he gave off the impression like he was trying to find the proper words, so that, hopefully, she’d leave him be. He _needed_ the space right now.

“Oh, I see… do you want me to go with you?”

“ _No!_ ” The word was out before he could stop it and he tensed sharply before he corrected himself. “N-no… no, is okay… I… not take long.”

Noct didn’t give Luna the time to reply to those words, as he turned and swiftly exited the hotel. And the second he came to the streets he took off running. He had no doubt that Luna would go to inform Prompto that he’d left alone. Which meant he had only a short while to do what he had to before Prompto caught up to him.

‘ _I have to hurry… have to hurry before…!_ ’

 

Despite the fact that Prompto was fast asleep, mostly due to his anxieties with Noct, when there was a knock on the room door he was awake almost instantly. And as awareness caught up to him and he looked around, he came to the realization that Noctis wasn’t with him anymore.

“Noct?” he called out, but, as he’d kind of expected, there was no answer. Then the knock on the door sounded again, and he frowned before getting up and answering it. And when he opened it, he was a little surprised to see Luna in the doorway. “Hey Luna. What’s up?”

Luna gave his slightly disheveled appearance and red-rimmed eyes one quick look, before she focused back on her reason for being there and said: “Prom, I just ran into Noctis leaving the hotel alone. Did he tell you he was?”

“What?! No, I just woke up, and he wasn’t in bed with me! Did he say where he was going?” Prompto asked worriedly.

“No, I asked, but he just said he was going to get some air.”

“I have a feeling I know where he went,” Prompto murmured, before he looked at Luna again. “I’ll go look for him, I just need to grab my shoes.”

“Okay… do you want me to go with you?” Luna asked, even though she knew what he was going to say.

“No, that’s okay,” was the almost immediate response as Prompto hopped into his shoes, grabbed his hotel key and then walked out. “I think it’s better if I did this alone. Sorry to bother you, Luna.”

“Don’t worry; just go.”

Prompto nodded swiftly, before he took off running. And knowing Noct, he’d probably be at the docks, possibly to see his friend (if they were around).

He just hoped he’d still be at the same dock as usual…

 

Noctis wasn’t sure how long he’d been walking, but by the time he’d manage to locate one of the docks (one he’d never been to before), his stomach was already roiling and he knew what was coming. Somehow he managed to keep his discomfort from showing on his face as he ducked through the alleyways and settled upon the dock’s edge. Breathing deeply now, with his hand on his stomach, he closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

Once he was sure he’d be able to keep himself in check, he opened his eyes and let out a small whistling sound from the back of his throat.

He didn’t let the sound draw out too long, because he didn’t want Prompto to find him too early, and afterward, he waited.

It took a while, but finally, something broke through the water’s surface. However, as Noctis locked onto the source, he blinked and then frowned in question.

//Drautos…?//

//Your Highness,// the Mer said in solemn greeting.

//Where’s Ignis and Gladio?// Noct asked immediately, eyes narrowed in question and slight worry.

//I apologize, Your Highness, they are back at the castle,// Drautos said with a small inclination of his head. //They were requested to watch over your father.//

Immediately, panic hit the Mer and his eyes went wide in alarm as the news registered properly. //With Father…? Why? What happened, Drautos?! Is he--//

//Please, calm yourself, Your Highness,// Drautos urged solemnly. //Your father is alive… but the Wyf’s activities have increased over the course of the last week. They have been attempting to break through the Wall almost continuously. The Wall holds… but I cannot say for how long.//

Noctis wasn’t sure how he was supposed to calm himself down. His father was suffering in keeping the Wall up to protect Insomnia and here _he_ was worrying about his own problems. As troubling as those were, they paled in comparison to what his father was going through now.

//…is he alright?// Noctis asked finally.

//Yes, Your Highness,// Drautos said firmly, and this made Noct relax (minutely).

//Good… that’s good…// Noctis murmured, settling a little better on his knees.

As he sat there, though, his thoughts wandered as his fingers curled in the material of his shirt, and worry again filled his mind. He knew this had to be said _before_ he returned to Insomnia, so that they could properly prepare a plan, but he’d rather discuss this with Ignis, because the sandy blonde was always quick to come up with good plans. But with Ignis aiding his father at the castle, there was little he could do about that…

Meaning he only one option…

//Drautos.//

//Yes, Your Highness?//

//…can I trust you?//

//Yes, of course, Your Highness.//

His stomach was rolling almost violently now. He couldn’t waste any more time…

//…I need you to get a message to Ignis… and my father.//

 

“ _Noct!!_ ” Prompto shouted as he ran along the docks, ignoring the dirty looks he was getting from people; he was well beyond caring. “Noct! Where are you?!”

He’d been hoping to find the Mer at the dock where they’d always met before he’d traded his tail for legs, but when he hadn’t found him there, he’d gone to the dock where Ravus said he’d found him. Unfortunately, that one had been empty as well, which left Prompto with no real idea where he could possibly be. Sure, the docks was an obvious hint… and it’d be a lot easier to go off of that if Altissia wasn’t located in the middle of the sea!!

Prompto’s mind was a frantic mess, though he tried so very hard to hold it in. He was pretty sure Noct couldn’t have just left Altissia, but the possibility still existed. What if he’d already turned back and had gone home without telling him? He certainly hoped not, but if that _was_ the case, he wasn’t sure what he’d do… because he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he couldn’t make up to Noct somehow…

He didn’t want there to be bad blood between them; even if they ended up never seeing each other again, he wanted them to part amicably, with little to no regrets if at all possible. But if he couldn’t find him, he would never be able to set things right again…

“ _Noct!!_ ” he yelled again, feeling the familiar burn of panicked tears behind his eyes as he ran further and further into Altisia. “Come on, where _are_ you?!”

By the time an hour of frantically running back and forth had passed, Prompto just so happened to catch a sound that he recognized; that of Noct speaking Mer. And Prompto, with his curiosity piqued, walked over to the source of the sound rather than rushing over, wondering who Noctis was speaking with.

As he peeked around the corner, he quickly took notice of Noctis almost immediately, sitting on the dock on his knees, speaking in a hushed voice to what had to be another Mer. One that wasn’t Ignis or Gladio. And this one held himself far differently from either of the others Prompto had met. In fact, he somewhat acted as if Noct was a commanding officer of some sort.

As Prompto watched them, he started to get the faint idea that Noctis wasn’t just a normal Mer. He had to be very important if this other Mer seemed to be listening like Noctis was in charge of… well, everything.

Finally, the other Mer bowed his head with what was likely parting words, as Noctis nodded once. And then the Mer dived under water and was gone, leaving Noctis alone at the docks.

And still, his hand was placed along his stomach.

Prompto sighed internally, wondering just what their conversation was about. Whatever it had been, though, it seemed to have been weighing on Noct’s mind heavily. He didn’t get long to figure it out, though, as just then, Noct gave a short cry and curled up on himself, hands clawing at his stomach as he whined in pain.

“Noct? You okay?” Prompto called out worriedly when he saw and heard this.

Upon the call, Noct tensed sharply, whipping around toward Prompto. However, before he could say anything, he hissed as he curled up again.

“Noct, what’s wrong?” the blonde asked gently, going over to the raven.

The Mer shook his head quickly, whimpering, with his fingers curling into his shirt.

“Shhh… It’s okay, Noct, just relax…” Prompto soothed, carefully wrapping his arms around Noctis in a comforting manner.

Noct whined pathetically, as he reached out with one hand to hold onto Prompto’s, while at the same time trying to move into the hug better.

“I’m here, it’s okay now…” the smaller male murmured, lightly pulling Noctis closer. He’d expected Noct to pull away, but the Mer didn’t so much as flinch, for which he was grateful. But at the same time, it worried the blonde. If Noct was in such pain that he didn’t mind the intrusion of his personal space after last night, what kind of pain was he actually going through?

For a long time, that was how they stayed, and Noctis took several heavy breaths in an attempt to get himself back together. That, however, was not an easy thing to do…

“Just try and relax, Noct… Easier said than done, but I know you can do it,” the blonde whispered.

Noctis nodded shakily, his hand clenching on Prompto’s as the fingers of his other hand continued to claw at his clothed stomach. And Prompto remained quiet after that, merely holding Noctis close before pressing a chaste kiss to the raven’s temple, praying that this was okay.

Thankfully, it seemed to be, since Noctis didn’t react aversely to it.

Finally, Noct was able to breathe easy, and his grip on Prompto’s hand slackened until he was merely holding it gently.

“Better?” Prompto asked softly, holding the raven close and rubbing one of his hands over the raven’s shoulder.

“…” Noct nodded his head quietly, shutting his eyes with a soft exhalation.

Glad that Noct seemed to be okay with him being there again, he breathed a little easier. Despite this, however, he waited for a while longer before speaking again.

“Who was that you were talking to?” he inquired finally, once he was sure Noct was completely with them talking again.

“…mm? …oh… Drautos…”

“Is he a friend of yours? Like Gladio and Ignis?”

“…no…”

“Then who is he?” the smaller male frowned, curious about the connection between his boyfriend and this new Mer.

“…works for Father…”

“Oh? Just who are you in the Mer realm, Noct?” Prompto finally asked, hoping not to upset his boyfriend.

“…?” At that question, Noct looked up with a small frown. “What you mean…?”

“You’re really important there, huh?” the blonde guessed.

“…” Noct didn’t answer that immediately, before he lowered his head and rested it against Prompto’s neck. “…don’t wanna talk ‘bout it…”

“Okay… But will you sometime? When you’re ready?” Prompto asked quietly, lightly tightening his grip on Noctis.

“…yeah…”

“Thank you,” he whispered, kissing the raven’s temple softly. “Wanna go back to the hotel?”

The Mer thought on that for a moment, before he shook his head. “…dun… wanna go back yet…”

“We can stay here for a bit, then,” Prompto smiled softly, nuzzling Noctis’ neck.

“…thank you…” Noct murmured, scooting closer to Prompto.

As they sat there, Noctis breathed softly, but despite what he knew would be coming, he felt better than he had upon awakening that morning. Because it would all work out fine; once Ignis knew what was going on, he could inform who he deemed needed for the task (and his father, of course), and they could make this work.

It would be okay… it would _definitely_ be okay…

 

As the sun set hours later, Drautos finally reached his destination, and he wasn’t surprised at the two figures waiting for his return. He didn’t bother to wait for them to speak up and ask what had happened before he spoke up. “Seems the young prince will be able to pay your mistress when he returns, still.”

“Hihihihi!/Hehehehe!”

“This is good news~”

“Good news this is~”

Drautos merely snorted at the almost cheery cries, but he still waited for them to cease their celebrating before speaking again. “If you’ve time to celebrate, then inform your mistress to prepare for tomorrow.”

“You are right.”

“Right you are.”

The two of them looked at each other, before exclaiming: “To the sorceress, we must!/We must, to the sorceress!”

As the two figures left again, Drautos merely watched them go, before he soundlessly swam away again. He had a mission to do, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so how many of you had a feeling things would not be going well when it was Drautos showing up there?
> 
> Also, it should be pretty obvious now what Noct's price for legs will be...


	20. Finality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing lasts forever...

When Prompto’s alarm went off the following morning, Noctis groaned from where he was cuddled up against the blonde human, before he cracked open one eye. After a moment more, he slowly pushed up, rubbing at his eyes with a small whine. Prompto groaned softly as well, before blindly reaching over and turning off the alarm. Once the sound had stopped, he opened his eyes to look at Noctis.

“Good morning, Noct,” he smiled softly.

“…mm… morning…” Noct mumbled sleepily.

“How’s your stomach?” Prompto asked in concern, remembering the pain his boyfriend had been in yesterday.

Placing a hand on his stomach, Noct held it there for a moment, before he nodded his head softly. “…it’s good…”

“Good,” Prompto smiled gently, leaning in and kissing Noctis’ lips softly, before pulling away and nuzzling his throat affectionately. And while Noctis didn’t immediately respond to the gesture, in the end he sighed softly and nuzzled his head along Prompto’s shoulder, breathing quietly as if he was taking it all in.

“I won’t do anything more, I swear,” came the soothing voice from his neck.

“…I know…”

“I love you, Noct,” Prompto whispered.

“…” There was a moment of silence that followed those words, before Noctis smiled, which Prompto felt against his own neck, and the Mer murmured: “…I… love you, too…

“Thank you,” Prompto breathed, before, regretfully, pulling back. “We should get up and eat…”

“…yeah…” Noct agreed quietly.

“Anything in particular sound good this morning?” Prompto inquired, smiling lightly.

At those words, Noctis frowned in thought, as he moved his bangs out of his eyes. Finally, though, he said: “…pancakes?”

At that, Prompto laughed. “Sure, Noct, we can absolutely do pancakes,” he chuckled.

The chuckle made Noctis tilt his head. It was quite clear he didn’t understand what was so funny.

“I just didn’t expect you to suggest something like that,” the blonde explained, noticing the head tilt.

“…?”

“It’s something simple, is all,” Prompto smiled, kissing Noctis briefly.

“…simple is good… right…?”

“In this case, it really is,” Prompto chuckled.

Noct frowned lightly in question, but he said nothing more on the matter.

“Here, I’ll order breakfast, and you can hang here, or get dressed, either way,” Prompto offered.

Noctis nodded softly, and he sat there to consider his options for a bit as Prompto moved to the phone. Finally, though, he stood up and picked up some clothes before he moved to get changed.

Meanwhile, Prompto placed their order, politely thanking the employee on the other end of the line before hanging up. “It should be up soon,” he smiled at Noctis.

“Kay,” Noctis said with a nod as he pulled his shirt on.

 

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Prompto answered it, thanking the hotel employee for delivering their food before taking it and closing the door.

“Here we go,” the blonde told his boyfriend, smiling as he set the tray on their bed.

Noctis smiled softly as he moved over, sitting down across from Prompto. Once they were both seated, Prompto pulled the covers off of their plates, inhaling deeply the warm scent of the pancakes.

“Good call on pancakes this morning, Noct. They smell amazing, and I bet they’ll taste just as great.”

“Yeah…” Noct smiled softly as he picked up his utensils.

With that said, Prompto smiled back before tucking into his breakfast, hoping Luna would be able to help him with a surprise for Noct for his last day in the human world. Thankfully, Noctis didn’t seem to notice the blonde’s worried thoughts, as he ate quietly.

But as he was halfway through, he looked up and asked: “What we going do today?”

“Well, I was thinking we could walk around Altissia for a bit, then go swimming again,” Prompto answered, keeping his possible surprise for Noctis to himself.

“…okay. Sound good,” Noctis said with a small smile.

“Good,” Prompto chuckled, before he resumed his breakfast.

As Noctis went back to his own breakfast, though, he almost tensed as his stomach roiled up again, but he swallowed another bite to force it down. He just had to bear with it for a little longer… he wasn’t going to ruin this last day… he _couldn’t_ …

 

Once they had finished their breakfast, Prompto got dressed himself before joining Noctis at the door. “Anywhere in particular you wanted to go today, Noct?” the blonde asked as they left.

The question made Noctis hum in thought at the question, his head tilted a little to the side, before he said: “Market…? Want see… if can get some… something for Father… to ap…apologize…”

Prompto’s expression softened at the words. “Of course we can,” he smiled kindly. As they headed to the market, Prompto asked: “You and your father are pretty close, huh?”

This caused the Mer to pause mid-step, before he allowed a small smile and nodded as he continued walking. “…yeah… Don’t… don’t remember Mother well… but Father was… there always. Even though busy often…”

“I’m glad you have family, though. I don’t remember my real parents at all, to be honest,” Prompto admitted, shrugging.

Those words made Noctis frown in question as something dawned on him. Prompto mentioned this before, but now that he thought about it, he’d been very young when his mother had passed on, so if Prompto didn’t remember _his_ parents, how old had he been when they’d gone? And more importantly… “…if no parents… then who take care of you?”

 “Ah, yeah, it was actually Cid, Cindy’s grandfather—her father’s father,” he added upon the confused look Noct gave him at the word, “who took me in. That’s why Cindy and I are such good friends.”.

“Ah… is he nice…?”

“Yeah, he is, despite being a bit grumpy at times,” the smaller male chuckled.

“Grum…py…?”

“Cranky, irritable, you know,” Prompto elaborated.

“Oh… like Gladio,” Noct chuckled out.

“Yeah, like Gladio,” Prompto agreed with a laugh.

And Noct laughed with him, though he quieted down when they came to the market. “Ah… so many people…”

“Just stay close to me so you don’t get lost, okay?” Prompto advised, taking the raven’s hand in his.

Despite his best intentions, Noct jumped at the sudden touch. He tried to play if off by squeezing Prompto’s hand. “Yeah, okay…”

“I won’t do anything, Noct…” Prompto sighed, noticing the jump.

“I-I know… I know, but… it… it just… happens… sorry…”

“No, I should be apologizing…”

“Prom…”

“It’s my fault, Noct…”

Noct frowned at the words, biting his lip before an idea suddenly hit him. Despite them being together for the past two weeks, Prompto had been teaching Noctis so much about the human world (which Noct greatly appreciated), but he’d completely forgotten to teach Prompto in turn about his own world. With a small smirk playing on his lips (for a split second) as he made up his mind to fix that, he stepped up to Prompto, pressed their foreheads together and then rubbed their noses together.

Though he was obviously surprised by the gesture, as obvious by his rapid blinking, Prompto merely chuckled and returned the gesture, loosely wrapping his arms around Noctis’ waist, high enough up that it wouldn’t upset the raven.

“That… how we do. That how show affi… affa… aff…” Noct cut off his own sentence when he wasn’t able to find the correct word with a frustrated groan, accidentally knocking their foreheads together. //Ow!//

“Ah!” Prompto yelped, startled by the sudden knock as he held a hand to his forehead. Once he recovered, however, he looked at Noctis and asked, “Affection?

Noct rubbed his own head briefly, before he nodded softly.

Smiling when he understood, Prompto gently pulled the raven closer. “Thank you, Noct…”

“You’re welcome…” Noct murmured softly.

“Let’s find your father something good, shall we?” Prompto murmured, pecking Noctis’ lips briefly before moving the hand at Noctis’ waist to his hand so they could be linked as they walked.

With a small nod, Noct followed after as Prompto led the way along the marketplace.

 

As they walked, Prompto occasionally paused to ask Noctis if anything caught his eye. Nothing seemed to have yet, though. There were definitely some things that he seemed to think were interesting, but they were apparently not interested enough to warrant a purchase for his father.

Like this, they spent several minutes just lazily strolling, but as they passed by a particular store, though, Noct paused curiously. “…? Why those flowers on paper?”

Humming, Prompto looked over to see what Noctis meant, before he smiled as he saw the pressed flowers that were up for sale. Somehow he wasn’t surprised that Noct would instantly be drawn to flowers. “They’re pressed on the paper like that to preserve them, in a way. Some people like to collect flowers like that so they can always see their beauty,” Prompto explained.

That definitely intrigued Noct as he turned back to Prompto with wide eyes. “Pressed flowers… don’t lose color…?”

“Nope. They keep their color,” the blonde smiled.

As that registered in his head, Noct’s mouth curved into a warm smile. “So I can… show flowers to Father?”

“Yeah, as long as we get one that’s plasticized. That way the water won’t ruin the paper,” Prompto replied, his smile warm.

Though Noctis clearly didn’t understand the part about plasticization, the fact that he could actually take a flower with him overrode his natural curiosity on the matter. “Can I…?”

This drew a laugh from Prompto. “Of course, Noct. Pick your favorite,” he urged.

Smiling like a child being told he could have however much candy he wanted, Noctis moved over to the store and began to look through the various pressed flowers. And Prompto merely followed after, watching Noctis with a special warmth in his heart.

After going through them a few times, Noctis lifted up two different flowers; a blue sylleblossom, and a red poppy. And given how he kept looking back and forth between them, it was obvious he was unsure which to pick.

“How about both?” Prompto offered. “You deserve to have one, too, and you can still show them both to your father.”

Startled, Noct looked to Prompto with wide eyes, before he frowned in worry. “But…”

“What’s wrong?” the blonde inquired, tilting his head curiously.

“I… don’t… I mean can’t…”

“If you’re worried about me paying, it’s fine. I have enough to spare,” Prompto assured his boyfriend. “Besides, I want you to be happy.”

“But—”

Without saying a word, Prompto snatched both from the raven’s hands and promptly bought them from the shopkeeper. “There. Problem solved,” he grinned, handing Noctis the purchase.

Noctis proceeded to stare for a few moments more, before he allowed a small smile and took the two flowers. “…thank you…”

“Anytime, Noct,” the smaller male smiled back.

Noctis held the flowers close to him as he asked: “Explore… little more?”

“Of course, Noct,” Prompto nodded, taking Noctis’s free hand in his.

Noctis smiled as he squeezed Prompto’s hand gently, following him quietly.

 

Later on, Prompto and Noctis ended up at the pool again as Prompto had promised earlier. And of course, the blonde was losing miserably to Noctis in just about everything they did competition-wise in the water, whether it was holding their breath or racing (above or below the water’s surface).

And Noctis merely laughed as Prompto finally caught up to him after their last race at the other side of the pool. //Seasnail~// he said teasingly.

“What did you just call me, huh?” Prompto pouted.

//Seasnail,// Noctis repeated with a chuckle. “Small creature. Really slow. Crawls over ground.”

“I’m not a snail!” Prompto protested as the meaning caught up to him, his pout deepening. “I’m not THAT slow!”

The pout only made Noct laugh harder, though.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up…” Prompto grumbled, rolling his eyes. “You’re literally a fish in water right now anyway.”

Noctis smirked cheekily, before he took a deep breath and ducked back underwater again. Ducking underwater after taking his own breath, Prompto stuck his tongue out at Noctis beneath the water, making sure the raven saw him. This gesture made Noct cock an eyebrow at him, before he smirked and kicked out his legs, propelling himself down with both legs at the same time, as he coiled around several times like he was performing a show of some kind.

“Show off!” Prompto shouted into the water, his voice sounding heavily muffled and gargled.

This made the Mer smirk almost cheekily, before he kicked off against the bottom of the pool and swam right back up to the surface again.

Prompto returned to the surface as well, feeling his lungs starting to burn, and then looked at Noctis curiously. “So, which is better, swimming as a Mer, or as a human?”

Noct considered that for a moment. “…Mer. Movement is faster. Fin helps, too.”

“Good point. I bet you can move much easier, too, huh?” Prompto guessed.

“Yeah,” Noct admitted with a nod. “Easier to jump, too.”

“Nice,” Prompto grinned, before it faded. “Hey, Noct? Do you miss being a Mer?”

Noctis blinked, a bit surprised at the question, before he frowned softly. “…yeah…”

“Well, I’m kinda glad, because I wouldn’t want you to be forced to be human if you didn’t want to,” Prompto murmured, lowering his gaze. “I want you to be happy, ya know?”

The quiet admission made Noctis frown softly, before he looked down at the water. Or more specifically, at Prompto’s legs as they kicked at the water to keep him afloat. He was doing it too, with both legs moving in opposite direction every time. He’d almost forgotten what it was like with a tail, but he knew the thought process required for it was a lot less complex.

And absently, he wondered…

“…what about you?”

“I want to be with you, no matter what. That’s what makes me happy,” the blonde told him. “Even if that meant becoming a Mer.”

Noctis frowned sadly, before he swam over and wrapped his arms around Prompto’s shoulders, pressing their foreheads together. The blonde returned the gesture, leaning in and lightly kissing Noctis. Then a thought dawned on him.

“Maybe I can someday. If you’re able to be human for a while, I’m sure I could somehow become a Mer, right?”

The Mer didn’t respond immediately, but the look on his face was solemn. He didn’t want to admit out loud that he’d secretly been hoping for that to be possible, but he was pretty sure it’d be almost impossible. Finally, though, he said: “Possible… but…” He sighed softly before finishing his thought. “Back home… I think only Weiz can do… but it’s… not safe… they’re not safe.”

“I’d do anything to be with you, though, Noct…” Prompto argued.

“…” Noctis watched him for a long moment, before a fond smile played over his face. “…I know…”

“We’ll figure it out somehow, I know we will,” the blonde promised.

Noct smiled softly as he moved in to kiss Prompto softly. “I trust you… love you…”

“Love you, too, Noct,” Prompto whispered, kissing him back.

Noctis merely hummed softly as he settled against Prompto, simply enjoying this precious moment with his boyfriend. He didn’t want this to end; he knew it had to, but for now, he just wanted to indulge in this one, precious moment in time.

“…How about we head back?” Prompto suggested after a bit.

“…already?”

“Yeah, I’m getting a bit tired, to be honest,” the blonde fibbed.

“…kay…” Noctis sighed softly.

“Don’t worry about it, Noct. Everything will be fine,” Prompto soothed, smiling softly.

Noctis nodded softly, before he pulled away and began to lazily swim back to the ladder. The smaller male followed after, and after changing back into the clothes, the pair soon headed back to the Leville.

 

As they walked back, Noctis looked over to the horizon, watching as the sun steadily descended, until it nearly touched the water.

“You okay, Noct?” Prompto asked as he noticed.

Noct jumped a little at the words, before he turned back. “Nothing ‘wrong’… just… time go so fast…”

“Yeah, it does…” the blonde agreed with a soft sigh.

“…is bad… wishing time would stop…?”

“If only, huh?” Prompto nodded. “I’d love it if this could last forever.”

Noctis didn’t say anything in response, but given how he squeezed Prom’s hand, he likely agreed.

“Oh hey, Noct,” Prompto said suddenly, looking at him with a warm smile. “I have one last thing I wanna do. Come on.”

Curious, Noct cocked his head as he silently followed after.

Prompto led them off towards the Leville, however, what was surprising to Noctis was that they ended up in a gondola on the water.

“…? Why boat?” Noct asked as he sat down.

“You’ll see soon,” the blonde chuckled.

Noctis didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t say anything as the gondola began to move to the middle of the lake.

As the gondola started to move, Prompto hurriedly texted Luna to have her start things up.

The response he got shortly after was a single cheering Chocobo emoji, the noise of which drew Noct’s attention. “…?”

“Hang tight, Noct,” Prompto smiled.

Noct frowned in a combination of confusion and suspicion, before a whistle pierced the air and he blinked, turning to the sound. Prompto lightly took Noctis’ hand in his as the sound was emitted, grinning at the raven.

But before Noctis could question it or even turn to him, the whistle faded away before a loud bang filled the air, accompanied by a burst of vibrant colors. The sound made Noct jump in alarm, but the burst of colors didn’t let him look away or even think about the sound for too long.

“There’s more,” Prompto murmured, chuckling at Noctis’ reaction.

Noct didn’t have any time to question it as multiple other whistles filled the air. This time the Mer could see the colored streaks zipping through the air before they exploded into more burst of color.

“Ah… what is….?”

“They’re fireworks. It’s a little surprise for you I had arranged with Luna to make our last day together special,” the blonde smiled softly.

“Fire…works…?” Noct breathed out, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away as the fireworks continued, filling the sky with color.

Prompto didn’t say anything more, merely watching the show with Noctis as he held the raven’s hand. However, he did lightly lean against Noctis. Noctis didn’t even seem to notice; too engrossed in watching the fireworks with awe shining in his eyes.

As the fireworks continued to fire off, Prompto couldn’t help but idly wonder what was going on with Noctis from the day before, considering that pain he’d suffered. When he looked over, he noticed that Noctis had his hand resting on his stomach again, though the gesture seemed to be almost instinctive. Not wanting to ruin the moment, however, Prompto kept his thoughts and questions to himself. He didn’t want to ruin things between them by prying, after all.

“…ah!” Noct suddenly exclaimed, pointing up. “Chocobo!”

“Looks kinda like Lizzy, huh?” Prompto chuckled, a small, amused grin on his face.

Noctis briefly looked at Prompto, about to say something, but he was distracted as several more fireworks exploded in the sky, drawing his attention back to the sky.

‘ _Thanks, Luna,_ ’ Prompto thought gratefully as he watched Noctis’ awed expression. Totally worth the effort and begging.

As the show continued, Noct’s hand squeezed Prompto’s hand firmly, a warm smile on his face.

The smaller male snuggled up to Noctis as he was already leaning against him, merely enjoying the moment. And Noct, instinctively, leaned up against Prompto as well, squeezing his hand and rubbing his thumb along the back of his hand.

Finally, the last of the biggest fireworks went off, creating huge bursts of color and light in the night sky, and even drawing an awed sound from Prompto while Noct’s breath caught in his throat, the burst of color reflecting off of his eyes as they turned a faint violet hue, but only for a brief moment. When the show was finally over, the blonde looked at his boyfriend and asked, “What did you think?”

Noct smiled as he turned on Prompto and kissed him firmly, giving him his answer like that instead of with words. The smaller male kissed back lovingly, relieved and pleased that he had been able to pull off the surprise.

When they finally pulled back, Noct whispered: “Thank you…”

“You’re welcome,” Prompto murmured. “Anything to make you happy.”

At those words, Noctis’ smile actually faded for a moment, as something seemed to come to him just then. And he looked down momentarily. Or more specifically, to his own stomach.

‘ _…what am I doing?_ ’ he thought to himself. ‘ _This… this isn’t just about me… It never was to begin with._ ’ Noctis almost sighed as he lifted a hand and rested it lightly on his stomach, fingers prodding at the skin beneath the cloth of his shirt. ‘ _Even less so now… this concerns us both… and he…_ ’ He squeezed his eyes shut as he bit his lip. ‘ _Prompto… he has every right to know…!_ ’

Making up his mind, Noctis opened his eyes and lifted his gaze to meet Prompto’s “…Prom?”

“Hmm? What’s up?” Prompto asked, watching the raven curiously.

“I…” Noct started, only to bite his lip worriedly. “I’m…”

“Take your time, Noct. But if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, I understand,” the smaller male soothed with a small smile.

Noct immediately shook his head in response. “No, I… I need to… but… I…”

“What is it?” Prompto asked worriedly.

“I—” However, before Noct could say what he was about to say, he gave a cry of pain as he fell forward, one hand clamping down on Prompto’s arm and the other reaching for his leg.

“Noct?! What’s wrong?!” Prompto yelped, pulling the raven close to comfort him.

“T…time…!” Noct hissed out, his legs beginning to shake and tremble. “Time is… is up…!”

“Ah!” Prompto gasped, realizing that he needed to get Noctis into the water, and quick.

“H-hey, you boys okay?” the gondolier asked worriedly as Noct pressed his legs together and struggled not to cry out in pain.

“We’ll be fine,” Prompto growled. “Just get us to the docks!” As he spoke, he quickly pulled out his cell phone and called Ravus.

“ _Prompto?_ ” the pale blonde’s voice said, confused.

“Time’s up, Ravus. I need your help. We’re heading to the docks behind the Leville now, so meet us there!” Prompto told Ravus urgently before hanging up, not giving the man the chance to agree or decline. He then tucked his phone back into his pocket before holding Noctis close. “Hang in there, Noct, you’ll be okay…” he murmured soothingly.

“Tr-trying…!” Noct whimpered out, his fingers curling in the material of his jeans as the gondolier swiftly got them back to the docks.

As soon as they reached the docks, Ravus and Luna were already there waiting for them, and Ravus scooped Noctis up, which almost made Noctis cry out again from the pain, but he ground his teeth together and forced himself to bear with it. As Prompto began to lead them to the open water where no one would see them, Luna ran beside her brother and placed a hand on Noctis’ shoulder.

“We’re almost there, Noctis!” Luna called to him. “Just a little longer!”

Finally, they reached the docks leading to open water, and Prompto set to work removing Noctis’ boots, jeans and shirt. Once those had been dealt with, he told Ravus to place the raven in the water. And as soon as he had, the blonde jumped in himself after dropping his bag on the docks.

“I gotta take off the underwear, Noct, or you’re gonna be in trouble,” Prompto explained hurriedly, before ducking into the water and quickly removing said article of clothing. Once Noctis was completely undressed, Prompto surfaced again, supporting his boyfriend as they floated in the water, making sure he didn’t sink prematurely as he turned back into a Mer.

Noctis whined pathetically as he clung to Prompto, burying his face in the blonde’s neck as he felt his legs beginning to spasm and coil in a way that shouldn’t be possible.

“It’s okay, Noct, I’m here…” Prompto assured him, holding Noctis close.

Noctis whined as his hands clamped down on Prompto’s shoulders, breathing picking up in his pain – just before he broke out into a coughing fit and he reached for his throat. For a moment, panic filled his head, until he realized that the feeling was a familiar one and so, after releasing Prompto, Noct let himself fall back into the water, disappearing beneath the surface.

Prompto realized that Noctis needed to be beneath the water now, but he remained floating where he was, waiting for the raven.

“Is… is he okay…? Luna asked as she kneeled down on the dock.

“He should be fine, right?” Ravus echoed.

“He’s gonna be okay. We just need to wait,” Prompto replied, watching the depths of the water with furrowed brows.

 

Below the surface, Noctis choked and whined, clawing at his throat with both hands. He almost believed he’d made a mistake – but then he instinctively inhaled and the water rushed down his mouth and through his throat, where the oxygen was filtered out to fill his lungs. Relieved, Noctis exhaled heavily, and then took deep gulps of water, as his lower body curled around at what should’ve been an impossible angle for humans… but not for Mer.

Slowly, Noctis opened his eyes again and curled forward as the pain faded, and looked down silently, unsurprised at the black scales that greeted him. His fingers lightly grazed over his tail, as he lightly moved his fin. After a moment more of regarding his own lower body, slowly getting used to the fact that he had just lost the legs he had used to move around these last two weeks, he unfurled himself and swam back to the surface.

He still had something to do, after all…

 

After what had to be a full five minutes, Noctis finally resurfaced, immediately shaking his head before moving his sopping hair out of his eyes.

“You okay?” Prompto asked, concerned as he watched the raven.

Noctis nodded his head, his breathing having calmed considerably. “Yeah… I’m… I’m okay…”

Luna breathed out in relief at those words. “That’s good…”

“You had us all worried there,” Ravus admitted.

Prompto gave Noctis a sad smile, before he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, hugging him. “I don’t want you to go…even though I know you have to…” he whispered.

Noctis briefly jumped at the sudden hug, before he relaxed and the whole situation caught up to him. Biting his lip, he wrapped his arms around Prompto in turn. “It’s… it’s not the last time… we see each other…” he promised softly, and Prompto felt the Mer’s long tail against his legs as it moved slightly to keep him above the water.

“I know, but I know I won’t see you for while…” the blonde mumbled.

Noct sighed as he pulled back briefly, after which he put his hands on the sides of Prompto’s head before pulling him in for a kiss.

Prompto kissed back lovingly, knowing it would be a while before he got to experience this again. Pulling back, he breathed: “I love you so much, Noct…”

“I love you, too…” Noct whispered, pressing his forehead to Prompto’s… before a whistle-like call made him look up toward the horizon.

“I don’t want to get you in more trouble…” Prompto sighed. “I’ll come here every day after a week, but if I don’t see you then, I’m gonna worry about you, okay?”

Noctis turned to him again, a small sad frown on his face. He leaned in then and briefly pecked him on his lips. “I’ll be back… soon as I can… promise…”

“I know you will,” Prompto nodded, before reaching into his bag on the dock and retrieving the pressed flowers. Handing them to the Mer, he said softly: “Be careful, okay? I want to see you unharmed when we next meet.”

Noct smiled as he took over the two flowers from Prompto. “I know…” he murmured. “I’ll be careful… but you need be careful, too.”

“I will,” the smaller male promised. “Now get going before you get in more trouble, okay?” At this, he gave a sad smile.

Giving the human a smile of his own, Noctis nodded as he swam back a bit. “Yeah… Drautos gets annoyed quick,” he chuckled out. But before Prompto could try to climb back out onto the dock, Noct suddenly darted forward and gave him one last peck on his lips. //Goodbye, Prompto… I love you.//

And then he ducked under the water.

“I love you, too,” Prompto whispered once Noctis was beneath the water. He then clambered out of the water, watching the horizon once he was out.

“And he’s gone,” Ravus mumbled quietly.

No sooner had Ravus said that or there was a sudden splash as Noctis jumped out from the water in a graceful arch, before he effortlessly dived into the water, his large fin giving one final wave before he was gone. Ravus’ jaw dropped when he saw Noctis’ tail, as that had been his first time seeing the raven’s black scaled tail. Prompto, however, smiled faintly before the look faded as he turned away, struggling to keep his tears at bay.

“Prom…” Luna frowned sadly, before she scooted over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “It’s okay… it’ll be okay…”

“I know, I know… I just miss him already, though…” the blonde sighed.

“I know, Prom…” Luna murmured. “Come on; let’s get you dried up before you catch a cold, kay?

“Kay…” Prompto nodded, and allowed himself to be led back to the hotel by Luna and Ravus.

 

True to his own words from earlier that very day, swimming as a Mer was _so_ much easier and faster. On top of that, it just felt so good to be back in the water after so long, to just be _free_ to move wherever he wanted to without the fear of losing his balance and falling to the ground because of… ‘gravity’, was what Prompto had called it, but Noctis still had difficulty grasping the meaning of the word.

Noct groaned when his thoughts almost immediately went back to Prompto, and he shook his head violently before snapping out his tail. He couldn’t think of that right now; he had to focus on getting back home, before things spiraled out of control.

Nodding his head once, he propelled himself forward, toward where Drautos was waiting.

“Welcome back, Your Highness,” Drautos said immediately when he was in range, bowing down respectfully.

“Drautos,” Noctis said with a small nod in greeting. “Is Ignis not here?”

“No. With the tension rising around Insomnia with the Wyf, he believed it better I escort you to Insomnia through a less direct route,” the other Mer said firmly. “For your safety, of course… _both of you_.”

Noctis didn’t respond to immediately; he merely brought up a hand and placed it along his stomach. “…right…” he whispered after a moment of thought. “…right, of course…” He takes a long breath and nods his head. “Okay… let’s go. Lead the way, Drautos.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

The young prince silently followed after Drautos as he swam off. He didn’t even think of keeping track of where they were going, as his thought were drifting to what he would tell his father upon returning to Insomnia, and if not that, he worried about the state he would actually find his father in. If things were as bad as Drautos had said, then his father had to be suffering from the strain the Wall had put on him. And if it was really bad, there was a good chance that he would have to take over… to protect his people.

It was a heavy thought, and not one he liked thinking of, but it was a necessary one. One that, he knew, would mean he wouldn’t be able to meet with Prompto within a week.

‘ _Aaaand I’m thinking of Prompto again…_ ’ Noctis realized, a small sad smile on his face. ‘ _I haven’t even gotten back to Insomnia yet and I miss him already…_ ’

Noctis allowed himself one last chuckle, before he focused on following after Drautos.

“…you shouldn’t be here, little prince…”

The sudden voice made Noctis stop in alarm, before he turned around toward the source of the voice. It didn’t take him long to spot it either; there was a Weiz leaning almost casually along the reef, tentacles coiled around the rocks to stay in place and a madly squirming shrimp held between delicate fingers. This one was different from Edea, though; whereas Edea had been as black as the depths of the ocean, this one was as white as the sun when it reached high noon, perhaps even more so. This Weiz also had much longer hair than Edea, which matched the pale color of his tentacles perfectly.

“This is not a place for one of your standing…” the Weiz said simply, as he popped the madly squealing and squirming shrimp in his mouth, chomping down and grinding it to mush before swallowing it without a hint of remorse showing on his face. “You should leave now…” he said then, as a cheeky smirk played along its pale-colored lips as amusement sparked in dark purple eyes. “Lest something happens… that may prove to be quite unfortunate…”

‘ _Wait…_ ’ Noctis frowned as a thought suddenly came to him. ‘ _Why… is there a Weiz here…? There… shouldn’t be any Weiz this close to…_ ’

“Your Highness,” Drautos suddenly called out, drawing the raven’s attention. “Please, we need to hurry…”

“A-ah… coming…!” he called out, snapping out his tail to follow after the other Mer. However, his earlier thoughts wouldn’t let him be any longer.

Weiz were a neutral faction in the war between the Mer and Wyf, sure… but they always kept to themselves. They never really went out of their way to travel into either Mer or Wyf territory, Noct was pretty sure. And Weiz territory was pretty far away from Insomnia, so why would a Weiz—

And then it hit him.

‘ _No way…!_ ’

Noctis swiftly curled his body and snapped out his tail, halting his momentum immediately. It took a moment for Drautos to notice this, but when he did, he stopped swimming and turned to the prince.

“Your Highness, please—”

“Drautos…” Noctis interrupted, but his tone was cold and his eyes were glowing violet-red. “Where are you taking me?”

Maybe it was because of Noctis’ heightened awareness due to the sudden realization, but he was acutely aware of the how the older Mer’s muscles tensed around the shoulders, the subtle twitch of his tail, and the brief widening of his eyes. Small changes in posture that he should not have picked up on in normal circumstances, but with the current state of his mind, it was almost childishly easy, and he recognized the symptoms.

_Anxiety_

“Why do you ask me that, Your Highness?” Drautos asked, but Noctis caught the subtle hitch in his voice, no matter how much he tried to hide it. “We are going to Insomnia. Where else would we be going?”

_He’s lying_

“…Why does that take us through Weiz territory?” Noctis demanded, and even though he couldn’t possibly see his own eyes, he knew they had to be burning red just then.

And Drautos seemed to have finally taken notice of it as well, as the signs were becoming more and more apparent. Noctis could now _feel_ the hatred and rage that burned behind his own eyes, as he realized what was happening, and likely had been happening for a while now.

“…I see…” Noctis said as he shut his eyes, his voice a deadly whisper on the currents as he feels energy he’s never truly touched upon coiling around in his chest, spreading out along his torso to his arms and the tips of his fin. “…so that’s what it is…”

“Y-Your High—” Drautos’ words were cut off as Noctis’ eyes snapped wide open, the pupils tiny pinpricks in a sea of piercing red.

“ _Traitor…_ ”

The energy burst from his fingertips, forming a crystalized blade that, until that very moment, the Prince of Insomnia had never had a need for. Noctis had neither time nor the state of mind to question how, but when he snapped out his tail behind him, he was right in front of Drautos, when normally it would’ve taken him at least five times the motions. But Noctis was beyond caring as his arm moved without his consent, and the blade slices through the water with such ease that Noctis almost feared the blade would fly from his hand.

The blade caught that of Drautos, who’d barely been able to bring up the weapon to block the sudden assault. Not that it helped much, as Noctis moved so swiftly that the other Mer had no time to consider whether to attack front on or counter. In a matter of seconds, Noctis was on his left side and snapping out again, and this time the blade bit into skin and the other Mer cried out in pain as he backed away, immediately reaching out to staunch the wound.

Every fiber of Noctis was screaming at him that he needed to keep at it, but at the same time, the little bit of rationale he had left told him not to.

‘ _Father… I need to get back to Father… this can wait… I need to go!!_ ’

With one powerful beat of his tail, Noctis spun around and took off as fast as he could possibly go, dismissing the blade he had summoned to reduce the water’s resistance. There was no way he could stay here any longer; he had to go home…!

“ _Release~_ ”

“Wha— _AHH!!_ ” Noctis screamed as a net suddenly came down from above and pulled him down toward the bottom of the ocean, pinning him there. “Wha-what is?!” The netting was heavy, and no matter how much he pushed, he couldn’t move it or even lift it off of his tail enough to move it around. ‘ _How even?! Who would use a human’s tool like this under water!?_ ”

“My, my, how interesting,” a voice suddenly called out drawing Noctis’ attention to the side, though he was barely able to move his head.

“…! You…!” he got out, panic hitting him all anew.

The redheaded Mer—definitely a _Mer_ , not a _Wyf_  or even a _Weiz_!!—merely smiled down at Noct, but it wasn’t a nice smile; not in the least. This smile sent shivers down the prince’s spine down to the very tip of his tail. This guy was dangerous…! _Very dangerous!!_

“Surely, you weren’t thinking of _leaving_ already, were you?” he said, almost casually, like he didn’t have someone pinned by his fin to the bottom of the ocean floor. “After all, you have an appointment with the sorceress Ultimecia, correct?”

“…!!”

‘ _No way…!!_ ’

Ultimecia… the rumored sea witch that was banished by the very clan she was a part of!?

“So…” the man’s voice brought him back to his current situation, “let’s not waste any more time… before your eggs start to rot, hm?”

‘ _No…!! Please no…!!_ ’ Panic struck him then for an entirely different reason, and while he wanted to scream and beg, his voice wouldn’t work properly. And if he was still on land, he was certain there’d have been tears in his eyes. ‘ _Please… no no no no…! Please… don’t take them away from me…!_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's the twist mentioned in the tags; it's not really a "pregnancy", soooo...
> 
> Also please don't kill us over this or we can't bring you the next chapters.


	21. Lost Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When someone is lost, you must go to find them... lest they become lost forever.

Ignis wasn’t sure what it was that tipped him off first. The last few days had been increasingly hectic, and he’d not had the time for any proper sleep, let alone the time to worry about anything other than assisting the King in keeping things running, that it took him several days to realize that it’d been well over 16 days that Noctis had traded his tail for legs…

And that was alarming, because that meant it should’ve been two days since his legs should’ve been taken away from him again so that he could return to the sea once more. Noctis had sworn he would be back as soon as his time was up, and yet he hadn’t seen hide or scale of the prince. This knowledge immediately buried a seed of worry in Ignis’ mind, despite how he tried to keep his head on the task at hand.

A lost case as he thought back on the situation, and so, he huffed in frustration and slammed down the tools he’d been using, before swimming off to find Gladio.

He had a bad feeling about this…

 

As they arrived at the humans’ Corale, Ignis and Gladio quietly looked through the water’s surface toward the docks, frowning as they regarded the humans walking around. //So remind me again, why are we here?// Gladio grumbled.

//Don’t start,// Ignis said firmly. //You’re as worried about Noct as I am.//

Gladio didn’t say anything in response, but it was obvious that Ignis had just hit the snail on its eyes. As they remained there a moment longer, though, Gladio growled and hissed: //Is he even here!?//

//As a matter of fact…// Ignis said as he adjusted the item in his right hand. //He just came by…//

 

It had been two whole days without Noctis in his daily life, and Prompto was sad to admit that he simply didn’t have the funds to remain in Altissia to wait for Noctis’ return any longer, as much as he wished to. So, with a heavy heart, he packed his things with every intention of returning to Cape Caem on the ferry and head home so he could build up the funds with random photographing jobs so that he could come back. As he headed to the docks, his mind stuck on Noctis (once again), he felt something suddenly hit the back of his head, making him yelp in slight pain and surprise. Once the shock had faded somewhat he turned to look for the source.

When he did, though, he realized with a start that it had come from the sea. And upon looking down to the docks, he quickly spotted a pale yellow shell, still wet from the water from which it had come. However, there didn’t appear to be anything worth seeing out there…

Which was when a whistle-like sound resounded from his right, towards a nearby bridge.

“Huh?” Prompto uttered, curious. He then headed over to the bridge, wondering if it could possibly be Noctis. Though, really, this early?

Initially, he didn’t see anything, but as he stepped under fully and out of everyone’s immediate sight, two figures broke through the water’s surface. Once the water cleared somewhat, Prompto was definitely surprised and confused to see Ignis and Gladio, Noctis’ friends.

“Ignis? Gladio? What are you guys doing here?” he asked, frowning in concern.

While Gladio seemed less than pleased to be there, Ignis regarded Prompto in silence for a moment, his expression mostly blank, except for the drawn eyebrows. After a moment of just staring at one another, Ignis finally spoke up.

“Noctis?”

“What’s wrong with Noct? Why isn’t he here?” Prompto asked, worried now.

Ignis grunted a little, his eyes darkening in worry, while Gladio growled softly. The sandy blonde considered what to say, given that they, unlike Noctis, had zero practice in human tongues.

Finally, he settled on keeping it simple. //Noctis is not home yet,// he said, gesturing first to the sea and then holding his arms in a cross in front of him, shaking his head for good measure. //Is Noctis with you?//

“He’s not here, if that’s what you’re asking,” Prompto said, shaking his head. Thinking, he then pointed out to the sea and then held up two fingers and finally pointed at the sun. “He left two days ago…”

At those words and gestures, the two Mer looked at each other, and now the worry was evident on both their faces. They spoke in hushed voices for a moment (as if they expected Prompto to understand them), before Ignis turned back to him.

//With who?// he asked. He then pointed to himself and shook his head as he added: //Not with me,// and then he repeated the gesture for Gladio. //Not with Gladio. Then who?//

“He mentioned Drautos,” Prompto told the sandy blonde Mer, becoming more worried by the second.

As soon as he said the name, though, both Ignis and Gladio’s expressions turned positively livid (which was a very strange sight on Ignis), and Gladio exclaimed what Prompto assumed to be several loud curses.

“What’s going on?” Prompto demanded, frowning deeply as he spoke.

//Gladio, return to the Corale and inform the Kingsglaive,// Ignis ordered, and the other Mer nodded and dived back under immediately. Ignis remained, though, as he turned to Prompto again. //Noctis gave you a horn, correct?// he asked, bringing up his hands and blowing through his hands.

“Oh, that shell? I always keep it with me…” Prompto murmured, pulling the item from his bag and showing Ignis.

Ignis nodded. //If Noctis comes to you,// he said, pointing at Prompto, //blow it,// he paused to repeat the blowing motion from earlier, //loudly. Understand?//

“O-okay,” Prompto nodded, understanding for the most part.

Ignis nodded his head swiftly, before he made to turn away as well.

“Wait, Ignis!” Prompto called, making the Mer pause. “What’s going on?”

Ignis didn’t respond immediately, as he frowned deeply. Eventually, he admitted: //We don’t know… yet.// His expression turned serious then as he added: //But Noctis… is missing.//

“Wait, he’s gone?!” Prompto yelped, a flash of panic coursing through him.

Ignis didn’t say anything to confirm or deny the words, but the serious expression was answer enough as Ignis turned and without delay dived under water to follow Gladio.

“No…!” Prompto whimpered once Ignis was gone. He was terrified for the raven’s safety, especially since he’d thought Noctis had gotten home okay. Standing up, he quickly called Luna. “Luna, I need help. Noct went missing. He never made it home.”

 

“Man… sooo bored…” a light blonde Mer with a dark blue tail mumbled as he stretched himself along the reefs of the Kingsglaive quarters. “I almost _wish_ the Wyf would charge us or something… if only to give us something to do…”

“…idiot…” came the annoyed grumble of a dark haired Mer with a dark orange-brown tail, a large scar streaked across the bridge of his nose. “…careful what you wish for…”

“Aw, c’mon, Leon,” a redheaded Mer with a matching fiery red tail smirked. “Live a little.”

“I’m with Leon,” a smaller blonde Mer with an ocean blue tail snorted.

“…whatever…” the Mer called ‘Leon’ mumbled.

The other blonde merely chuckled, before he turned to the others. “So, when do you think the next mission will pop up, Ax?”

“Not a clue, but it better be good. It IS getting rather boring around here…” the Mer called ‘Ax’ shrugged.

“I just hope whatever it is, we’re not fighting for our lives…” the smaller blonde murmured.

“…don’t jinx us, Roxas…” Leon mumbled in annoyance -- right before there was a loud wailing sound that had all four of them bolting up in surprise. “…! That was…!”

“Well…” the taller blonde Mer smirked. “Guess we got our wish for some action, eh?”

“Shut it, Tidus!” Roxas snapped, before he and Axel looked in the direction it came from.

“…hmph…” Leon snorted, before he snapped out his tail and launched himself for the Kingsglaive building.

“Hey dude!! Wait for us!!” ‘Tidus’ shouted as he hurried after the dark-haired Mer, with both Roxas and Axel darted after them, easily catching up.

 

As they four Mer arrived, they weren’t surprised as the entirety of the Kingsglaive swam in right after and before them, though what did surprise them was the lack of their captain in the room.

“Wha…? Wait, where’s Captain Drautos?” Tidus mumbled as he looked around the room. “Shouldn’t he be the first to show up here?”

“He hasn’t been seen at the Corale for five days, almost…” came a solemn voice from beside the entrance, which brought their attention to the blonde Mer with a dark green, almost black tail, by the entryway with his arms crossed over his chest, who seemed the least impressed of all of them.

“Five days…?” Leon repeated, frowning in question.

“How can he have been missing for five days?” Roxas questioned.

“…dunno…” was the blonde’s only response.

As Roxas looked around them, though, he frowned. “Wait… Where’re Sora and Riku?”

“Probably having ‘fun’,” Axel snickered.

“Wait, again?” Tidus mumbled, tilting his head.

“Ahh!! Hang on, sorry! We’re here!” came the familiar voice of a brunette Mer with a slightly lighter blue tail than Roxas’, and a silverette Mer with an aqua colored tail following close behind him.

“…you’re late…” the blonde by the door said without looking up at all.

“Sorry, Cloud… We were, uh…” the silverette trailed off, struggling to think of an excuse.

“You two were having your ‘fun’, admit it!” Axel cackled.

“Axel!” Roxas hissed, elbowing him in the side.

Leon snorted dismissively at the quip, while Tidus was laughing at the redhead’s words.

“Jerk,” the silverette growled.

“Riku, just ignore him…” the brunette sighed.

“Sora…!” Riku protested.

“He’s not worth it, seeing as there’s more important things to talk about, remember?” Sora pointed out.

“He’s right, Riku,” a calm voice said from behind Axel, drawing attention to a pale-haired male with a light gray tail. “If the Captain really is missing, then something bad must have happened…”

“…Hey, Cecil,” Tidus mumbled to the Mer. “If the Cap’s missing, who’s in charge?”

“…Nyx is, probably…” Leon mumbled.

“So…what exactly IS going on, anyway?” Sora asked, tilting his head curiously.

Just then, though, there was a familiar shout from the back of the room.

“Everyone, listen up!!” As the group turned, they immediately spotted the Kingsglaives’ SiC, Nyx Ulric, swim up a little higher to be properly seen by all those in the room. “We’ve got a serious situation on our hands. Now I want you to keep calm and hear me out here, but Prince Noctis has been captured by the Weiz.”

“What?!/No way…!!” came the collective shout of the Kingsglaive.

“The prince is…?” Cecil choked out in alarm.

“No… no way…” Tidus got out.

Axel growled lowly, as did Riku, while Sora and Roxas gasped.

“But…how could that have happened?!” Roxas demanded.

“While there’s no concrete evidence to collaborate this…” Nyx continued firmly, “it is believed that the Prince was lured into their territory under false pretenses…” At this point, the dark-haired Mer paused and breathed in deeply to prepare himself for the most damning news of them all, given their status and rank. “…by Captain Drautos,”

“…what?” Leon said coldly, his expression darkening dangerously, while Cloud’s expression barely shifted, though his eyes darkened in silent anger.

This time, neither Axel nor Riku held back their furious snarls.

“Why the hell would he do that, though?” Sora questioned.

“Seriously, what motivation would he have?” Roxas added.

“We don’t know,” Nyx admitted. “Right now, it’s pure speculation, but given the circumstances as they are, I must ask all of that, should you run into the Captain on this mission, to ignore all orders he presents you with. Retrieving the Prince is our highest priority. Understood!?”

“Yes sir!” came the chorused shout from the Kingsglaives.

“Good. Everyone get your weapons and prepare for immediate departure!”

Roxas and Sora touched their summoning charms that rested around their neck, summoning their Keyblades to their hands, Sora’s Kingdom Key appearing in the brunette’s hand with a flash of light, while Roxas’ Oathkeeper and Oblivion appeared with a white light and dark light respectively, one in each hand. As Riku touched his summon charm, and his Keyblade, Way to Dawn, appeared in his hand, Axel, meanwhile, summoned his chakrams to his hands without actually touching the charm, a menacing glint to his eyes once their familiar weight settled in his hands.

Leon snorted as he snapped his finger along his own summon charm summoning Lionheart before he rested it above both his shoulders, while Cloud hummed non-committedly as he brought up his hand, summoning his massive Buster Sword and resting it across his back. Tidus growled softly as he adjusted his own charm, bringing out the Brotherhood and flipping it between his hand, as Cecil brought out the Lightbringer.

At the same time, as the summon charms activated completely, the magic contained within them coated their tails, turning them a pitch-black, to allow for them to blend into the darkness of the sea when they went out.

“Let’s go, guys!” Tidus called out as he swam ahead toward the seahorse pens.

“Right behind you,” Riku nodded, and he followed with the others.

As they arrived at the pens, the Kingsglaive split themselves up into units of eight, which was their usual setup, getting on the seahorses that had already been prepared by the attendants. However, before they left, Nyx called out to them once more.

“Once we reach their borders, we’ll travel by fin. We have a rough estimate of where the prince is kept, but keep yourself to the darkness until we’re absolutely sure where he is! Understood!?”

“Sir!” came the chorused cry.

Nyx nodded once more, before he pulled on the reins of his seahorse, making the creature whinny before he shouted: “Move out!!” and it took off with a burst of speed.

And the rest of the Kingsglaive was not far behind.

 

Noctis was pretty sure about one thing; he had never felt this shitty in his entire life than he did at that particular moment. Left alone in the darkness of the massive building’s dungeon, his wrists and tail secured with heavy chains to the far wall. He was hungry, though not starving; they couldn’t afford to have him die on them, but it wouldn’t do to have him at full strength, either.

His stomach was roiling worse than ever now, and he knew that it was almost time… and he knew that that was what they were waiting for.

And that hurt…

‘ _I can’t let them take my eggs…_ ’ he thought to himself, holding his hands to his stomach, just above where his torso ended and his tail began. ‘ _I can’t let them take them… I won’t let them…_’ He took a deep gulp of water and oxygen, and he curled up protectively.

He had to protect them; had to keep them safe. He’d never be able to forgive himself if he failed to do so… and even if he managed to escape somehow, he’d never be able to look Prompto in the eye again.

‘ _Prompto…_ ’ He bit his lip and pushed down gently. ‘ _I’ll protect them… I won’t let them take our children… I promise…_ ’

At the same time, though, he prayed that help would come soon…

 

“Prompto, _please!_ You’re going to hyperventilate at this rate!” Luna chided her friend as she grabbed her pacing friend by his shoulders.

“I can’t help it, Luna!” Prompto cried, tears streaking down his cheeks. “I feel like it’s my fault since I didn’t make sure he got home okay somehow!”

“Prom, there’s _no_ way we could’ve known this would happen!” Luna told him firmly, before she turned to her brother and gave him a look that said ‘ _Help me out here!!_ ’

“Prompto, you had no way to ensure he got home safely,” Ravus pointed out. “You can’t breathe underwater, so you couldn’t have escorted him or anything.”

“But…” the blonde protested weakly, knowing Ravus was right, but unable to prevent the feelings inside of him.

“C’mon, Prom; sit down, kay?” Luna murmured softly as she tugged him over to the couch of their hotel room.

Prompto allowed himself to be guided to the couch, his heart clenching painfully. If anything bad happened to Noctis or he got hurt…Prompto would never forgive himself. Umbra and Pryna both whined at Prompto’s obvious anxiety, as they came up to him and bumped into his knees (Pryna) and hop up to lick his tears away (Umbra).

Luna sighed heavily as she ran a hand through her hair, thinking for a moment. “What can we do…? Do we even know where his home is?”

“I…I know from the guy who got me here the first time that his home is around the waters of Altissia, but…there’s Leviathan to worry about if we go out there looking…” Prompto mumbled, a glint of determination in his eyes. Looking up again, he asked softly: “Will you help me?”

“Prom, do you have to ask?” Luna countered, smiling warmly. “Of course we will!”

“What’s Leviathan?” Ravus frowned, curious.

“Ah, Leviathan is a huge sea dragon, and it nearly drowned me the time when Noct saved me,” the smaller male explained.

Luna frowned a little bit in worry, but she quickly shook it off. “Then Noctis knew this dragon, right? I’m sure if we can explain that we wish to help Noctis, it will let us through.”

Ravus appeared skeptical, but nodded anyway. “As long as it listens…then we’ll help,” he agreed.

“Thank you, both of you…” Prompto murmured gratefully, his voice soft.

 

“Okay, are we all ready?” Luna asked once they were all on the boat, life vests secured (per Ravus’ “request”) and Umbra and Pryna down below deck.

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, eager to hopefully find Noctis.

“Then let’s go,” Ravus said.

As the boat took off from Altissia, Luna moved over to Prompto, watching him worriedly, before she placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay, Prom…” she promised him.

“I know… I just want to find him safe and unharmed…” Prompto sighed.

“I know, Prom… we all do…” Luna murmured as the boat sped along the waters, in the direction where Prompto had had his first encounter with the sea dragon he now knew rested beneath those waters. The thought of going back there to meet her again was not a pleasant one, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to take a risk for Noct.

“Over there, by those rocks!” Prompto called out as they got closer. “That’s close to where Noct saved me.”

“I would not go over there, if I were you…” came a voice suddenly from behind them, making the three humans give their own respective shouts of surprise before whirling around to the source (with Ravus shutting off the engine, just in case).

Sitting on the far railing, one pale, slim leg thrown of the other and face supported by a dainty hand with sharp, bluish-white nails, sat a man (or so they believed…) with long, silvery-white hair and dark purple eyes that were surrounded by a deep blue shade, dressed in some sort of long, white robe-like garment, with its lower half sliced into eight large ribbons.

The man watched them with an almost disinterest look as he said simply: “Poor Levi’s got her scales in a tizzy right now because she’s heard of her dear prince’s situation, after all…”

“But…we’re trying to help _find_ him!” Prompto protested, before he realized what the guy had said. He hadn’t actually noticed initially, but did this guy just say…? “Wait… What do you mean, ‘prince’? Do you mean Noctis? And how do you know about him?” By this point, the blonde was frowning suspiciously, not sure about this guy.

The man didn’t respond to the litany of questions, though. Instead, he threw his leg back around to step onto the deck, and then calmly stepped up to Prompto, ignoring both Luna and Ravus’ cries and demands to know who he was as well, as he grabbed Prompto by his chin and lifted his face up to regard him up close. Prompto stiffened at the unfamiliar touch, glaring defiantly at the stranger as alarm bells went off in his head.

“…huh, and here I was hoping for something a _little_ interesting…” the man said in a bored drawl as he released the shorter male’s head and flicked a finger to Prompto’s forehead. “How disappointing… I would’ve expected the little prince to have _some_ taste, at the very least.”

“Who are you?” Ravus butted in as Prompto growled.

The man silently regarded Ravus from the corner of his eyes, barely even turning his head, before he snorted and turned away. “I would suggest you give up your search while you can,” he said instead, completely ignoring the demand for his identity as he walked toward the back of the ship, his feet slapping wetly against the deck. “After all… you won’t find the poor prince within Insomnia’s borders…”

Upon hearing the wet slap of the man’s feet on the deck, Prompto blinked. “Are you…a Mer, too?” he asked calmly before the man could get too far.

“…” At that, the man actually paused in his steps, before he scoffed and turned to look over his shoulder. “How rude… you would lump us all together in the same pile, dear?”

“Then…what are you…?” Prompto frowned. However, before the man could reply, he suddenly remembered Noctis telling him in passing about another group from below the ocean that he called the ‘Weiz’. “Wait, are you a Weiz?!”

“Oh?” the man said, and this time his lips curled up into a small, cheeky smirk. And as he turned again, he said as he tucked some loose strands behind his ear, “So you _do_ know a little more of the world below… Impressive.”

Luna frowned in thought, before she whispered to Prompto: “Weiz…?”

“Noct mentioned them in passing,” he said quietly. “Told me they can become human, and said they’re dangerous…”

Before Luna could ask more, the man actually chuckled (though it bordered on a giggle). “Dangerous, hm? Well, I’ll not blame the poor Mer for thinking so…” he said simply.

“…So you do know of the Mer… are you allies?” Luna questioned.

“Oh please,” the man said with a wave of his hand. “We’ve no intention of involving ourselves in the petty squabbles of the Mer and Wyf… it’s not our style.”

“The Wyf?” Prompto repeated. “I only know of Mer and Weiz. What are the Wyf?”

“Oh, only the Mer’s mortal enemies. No one in particular~” the man said with a giggle, as if the news was no big deal whatsoever.

Prompto frowned darkly. “Do they have Noct?” If they did, he would do anything to save him.

“…Maaay~beeee~” the man chimed.

“…” Prompto snarled dangerously, hoping beyond hope that he wasn’t in the clutches of the Wyf. “You can turn Mer into humans, right?” he asked cautiously.

The Weiz didn’t say anything for a long time, before he asked simply in return: “What if I can, hm?”

“Then you can turn humans into Mer, too, right?”

“Prompto!?” Luna cried out in alarm. “What are you—?”

“Luna, I won’t hesitate to do ANYTHING to save him, no matter what,” the blonde male told her firmly, before looking back at the Weiz. “Can you make me a Mer? I want to help Noct.”

“…” The white-haired man regarded him silently for a long moment, expression blank. But then a smirk passed over his face. “And what will you give me in exchange, hm?”

“What do you mean?” Ravus demanded, not liking the expression on the man’s face.

“You cannot expect me to work for ‘free’, now do you?” the man chuckled coldly. “If you have a wish to be granted by a Weiz, be prepared to offer something in return to have it be so.”

Prompto narrowed his eyes in suspicion, before his eyes widened in horror as he realized something else. Given how the white-haired male spoke, that rule had to be universal for _all_ Weiz, which meant that Noctis must have had to give something up as well in order to become human when he did. This made him briefly wonder what the Mer had given up, but he quickly shook it off. “What do you have in mind?” he asked carefully.

“What do you have to offer?” the Weiz asked instead, still smirking, before the expression sobered up. “However, I must warn you… it would be impossible to make you a Mer indefinitely. Eventually, you will need return to your original form. The most I could offer you is a week.” After giving Prompto a moment to take those words in, though, he added: “Unless, of course, you’d be able to link yourself with them, of course.”

“What does that mean?” the blonde questioned. However, he quickly shook his head to dismiss the question as he said: “Never mind. I’ll do anything for him, even give up the most valuable possession I have.”

“Prompto!” Luna warned, but the Weiz merely chuckled.

“Oh? And what would you be prepared to offer me, then?”

Prompto ignored his friend, instead pulling out his camera from his bag. “It’s my camera. It’s the most precious thing I own, and it carries a lot of precious memories for me…but I’d give it all up to be with Noct,” he told the Weiz.

The Weiz regarded Prompto in silence for a long time, his expression solemn and calculating. This silence stretched on for almost five minutes, before the Weiz sighed, shutting his eyes and permitting a smile. “Perhaps I was wrong about you, boy,” he said calmly, before he opened his eyes again. “Very well…”

The Weiz waved his hand in the air, pale silver energy flowing around his hand before he snapped it down and a scroll appeared before Prompto, hovering in midair along with some sort of pen seemingly made of the skeleton of a fish. “If this is the path you wish to take, sign the contract to formalize our agreement.”

“Prompto! You can’t be serious!!” Luna hissed softly as she tried to pull Prompto away from the scroll. “You don’t know what this guy is capable of…”

“I said it once, and I’ll say it again, Luna: I would do ANYTHING for Noctis, especially to be with him,” the blonde male said in a firm, finalizing tone. The way he said it left no room for argument.

“But—”

“I’m signing!” Prompto snapped, before he snatched the pen and signed his name on the contract without hesitation.

_Prompto Argentum_

Luna gasped in alarm, but the Weiz laughed at the action. “Well, then…” he said, just as a white octopus-like tentacle came up and abruptly snatched his camera from him. And as they looked over, they realized that the man’s garb, in the moment they’d been looking away, had turned into 8 long tentacles, with no sign of human legs beneath. “It’s a deal~” he said as energy formed in his hand and another tentacle snapped up the contract. “Fair warning, dear…” he said as the energy around his hand. “This… is going to hurt~

And then he threw the energy forward to smash into Prompto’s chest, throwing him backwards.

“Shit!” Prompto swore, landing with a thud on the deck, before he tried to get to the water before it was too late.

“Prompto!!” Luna cried out in alarm as she hurried to try and get him up to his feet. However, when she did, his legs crumpled beneath him as pain shot along the blonde’s legs, and it was almost as if the bones were trying to break themselves and then realign in a way that shouldn’t be normal, making the blonde howl in pain – before he began to hack and cough as the amount of air surging into his lungs began to overpower him. “Oh no…! Ravus, help!!”

Ravus rushed over, and quickly picked Prompto up before hurrying to the edge of the boat. “Sorry, Prompto, but you’re going to need this!” he apologized, and then let him go into the water.

 

The moment his head disappeared beneath the surface of the water, the blonde instinctively gasped in alarm and surprise… and as the water rushed down his throat it passed through something in the back of his throat, almost like some kind of filter, separating the oxygen from the water and filling his lungs with the much thinner air, giving him almost instant relief. But that didn’t stop the pain in his legs as he, on instinct alone, kicked them out in an attempt to escape it.

Struggling to think amidst his panic, Prompto realized he needed to get his pants and boxers off, and yanked them down and off as fast as he could in his pained state. Even his shirt and vest were beginning to weigh him down, it felt like, so he slipped those off, too.

And just as the shirt came off, his legs curled at such an angle that he _knew_ he should have broken his bones in 7 different places all at once… and yet just as the thought registered, the pain was gone.

“Ah, fu…” Prompto started to swear, before looking down at what used to be his legs and were now fused into a beautiful, crystalline blue tail. “Holy shit…!” he gasped, shocked to see that he was now _really_ a Mer. Granted, it might not be permanent, but he already liked this. He flicked the end of his new tail experimentally, and was pleased when he found himself swimming like a natural. “Like a fish to water, I guess…” he smiled softly.

//Having fun, dear?// a familiar voice cooed from somewhere above him.

“You’re letting me understand Mer? I couldn’t very well before…” the blonde asked curiously. “Will I be able to speak it fluently, too?”

“In normal situations, no…” the Weiz murmured before he smirked. “But there is a way~”

“And that would be…?”

“I like you, dear… so I’ll give you one on the house~” Before Prompto had the chance to say anything, or even move, in response to the words, the Weiz was right in front of him, lips locked onto Prompto’s.

Horrified, Prompto quickly backed off, glaring. //What the hell, man?!// he demanded, before his eyes went wide as he realized he had just yelled at the Weiz in fluent Mer.

And the Weiz merely giggled. //You’re welcome~// he chirped cheekily, before he sobered up. “Now, I suggest you bid your friends goodbye… your prince will not be able to wait forever.”

//Right…// the blonde nodded, before heading for the surface. As soon as he popped out of the water, he could feel the heaviness of the air as he breathed, and he began to realize why Noct would end up coughing when he stayed above water too long. “Luna! Ravus!” he yelled, gaining the siblings’ attention.

“Prompto!” Luna cried out in relief. “Oh thank goodness! Are you all right?!”

“Yep! Check it out!” he grinned, before diving down, and then launching himself up out of the water, high enough that his entire body, tail and all, was visible. He landed with a loud splash before surfacing again. “Thanks for everything, guys, but I gotta find Noct.” However, he paused as he was about to dive back under, thinking, before looking at Luna. “Hey Luna, can you dig out the shell from my bag, please? I have a feeling I’ll need it.”

“Shell…?” Luna repeated, confused, before she hurried to the blonde’s bag and digging through it. When she found the shell, she hurried back. “This one?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” he nodded, holding his hands out to catch it.

Nodding, Luna tossed the shell down toward Prompto. Once he caught it, she said: “Be careful, Prompto!”

“I will!” Prompto grinned, moving the strap he had attached to the shell around his shoulder so he could swim without having to worry about holding it.

“Good luck,” Ravus told him, and the blonde nodded.

“Thanks, Ravus,” he smirked. “Bye, guys!” And with that, he darted beneath the waves, heading back to the silver-haired Weiz. “Now, where do I go from here?” he asked.

“Seeking your beloved prince, I would assume,” the Weiz said off-handedly. Before Prompto could complain about the lack of help though, he smirked and said: “As for me… I intend to meet with an old friend of mine… I heard rumors circulating she was expecting royal visitors~”

Initially, that sounded like a stupid bit of information to give… until Prompto actually dissected the words properly.

“Mind if I tag along, then?” Prompto asked, hoping the silverette would agree.

“Do as you wish, dear,” the Weiz said as he turned around to leave. “The sea’s big enough, after all…”

And with a curl of his tentacles, the Weiz took off like a bullet shot from a gun.

Prompto snorted, before he yelped as he began to give chase, swiftly catching up like he was a pro. The Weiz didn’t even seem to care, swimming along as if he was merely enjoying an everyday outing.

“Can I at least know your name?” Prompto asked after a bit, the curiosity eating at him.

The Weiz briefly looked back over his shoulder, seeming to consider it, before turning away again. Before Prompto could ask again, though…

“Kuja.”

“…Thanks, Kuja,” Prompto murmured, hoping everything would work out in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a LOT of new faces this late in the game. XD


	22. Lost but Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When things are lost... and then things are found...  
> Though they may not necessarily be the same things...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill us for this part...

Meanwhile, within Weiz territory, things were almost as silent as the grave. With one obvious exception; that being the massive black castle that was located right in the center of the area. What made it stand out from all other buildings there, aside from it being the tallest and most ominous building around, was the amount of creatures swimming around it.

Creatures that weren’t Weiz…

“…those are Niffs…” Leon mumbled softly from where the group of eight was hidden.

Tidus growled softly. “Damn… what are they doing here?!”

“They couldn’t have joined forces… right?” Sora frowned, concerned as he looked at Riku.

“…seems like it…” Cloud mumbled softly.

“Shit…” Axel hissed.

“How do we get inside, then?” Roxas asked.

“…Carefully,” Cecil whispered. “Let’s get closer… see if we can find a way in. Stay to the darkness.”

The group nodded, before they swam closer to the Weiz castle.

 

There were several moments where the group was almost discovered, but, thankfully, they were experienced enough to be able to avoid actual detection. But even then, it took them at least 20 minutes before they were close enough.

“Look…” Cecil whispered, pointing. “That looks like a waste disposal chute…”

“Are you _kidding_?!” Tidus hissed softly.

“When does Cecil joke?” Axel snorted.

“…never…” Cloud mumbled with a snort. --

“Hey, there’s an open window up there,” Riku said suddenly, pointing at it. “Maybe we can split up to find His Majesty faster.”

“Good point! How ‘bout it Cecil?” Tidus quipped.

Cecil frowned softly in worry, but in the end, he nodded. “Alright. Roxas, Axel, Tidus, Cloud. The four of you go up.”

“…understood,” Cloud said with a small nod.

“Riku, Sora, Leon, with me.”

“No stinking like waste for us,” Axel snickered as he swam up with his group. Shortly after the quip, there was a quiet _thunk_ as Roxas knocked the redhead on the head.

“Axel, shut up,” he grumbled.

Cecil shook his head briefly as he watched the four Mer move along the walls quietly, before he turned to the remaining members of the unit. “Let’s go.”

“…right.”

“Hopefully this will be quick…” Sora mumbled as he followed closely to Riku, who nodded.

 

It was cold, and that was putting it mildly. Noctis was shivering, and that wasn’t something he was used to doing below the water. The only time he recalled ever doing so had been because he swam too deep to the point where the sun’s warmth was unable to reach them. He’d never gone back there again, fearing the cold.

This was possibly even worse; the chains were only adding to it, as their cold seeped through the material into his wrists and through his tail.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, his stomach was churning violently now, and he was really pushing his luck with holding things in as much as he was, but he knew he had to. He couldn’t afford not to.

He just had to hold out until help arrived…

…just a little longer…

“Ooh?” The sudden voice made Noctis flinch in alarm, but he said nothing and didn’t bother to look up. “Still not ready, hm?”

Noctis could barely see the other Mer’s scale color in the darkness of the cell, but he didn’t have to, because he’d already seen it. However, he didn’t want to believe what he’d already seen, because he didn’t want to think of the implications that brought with it.

_Black…_

He was pretty sure the guy was expecting a response, but Noctis wasn’t going to give it to him. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing him break down.

“Nothing to say, still, hm?” the other Mer said in that same, calm voice that felt cold and haughty at the same time, making Noctis even less eager to answer. So, again, he didn’t. The other Mer hummed after almost a minute of getting no response, and Noct was half-tempted to look up, but he forced himself not to move. “You know what I think?”

Noctis, of course, didn’t say anything in response. He wasn’t interested in this guy’s thoughts, anyway.

That changed, however, when a large hand suddenly clamped down on the prince’s throat, squeezing tight and making him struggle to take in the required gulps of air as he was dragged up. He couldn’t even reach for the arm keeping him up, because the chains weren’t long enough to give him that movement. Not even his tail was able to move more than a few feeble wags of his fin.

“I think… that you’re holding out on us,” the Mer said, but Noctis could barely hear it, as the lack of oxygen was making his head spin and had his eyes rolling up. “I suppose there’s no helping it, then…”

Even if Noctis had been able to think , he wouldn’t have had the time to respond or react… as a blinding pain ripped through his entire being and he choked on a scream that barely managed to get out around the hand on his throat. However, as his brain caught up to where the pain was originating from, the feeling was accompanied by a powerful wave of panic.

“ _N-no…!_ ”

The word was barely a choked whimper as he tried to reach out to stop the pain and also to stop what was happening, but the chains wouldn’t let him move at all. His muscles were all bunched up, in an attempt to make the pain stop, but it didn’t work. The pain was continuous and tore through his entire body like it was being ripped in half right down the middle.

“Now, now…” Noctis could barely hear the voice over the pain that overrode everything else. “We can’t keep the host waiting, now can we?”

He tried to object, because somehow he registered and understood those words, but his throat couldn’t formulate a single syllable. His eyes were burning, and it was a familiar feeling, even if its effect was lessened under water.

‘ _Please… no…! Don’t… don’t take them away from me!!_ ’

The pain suddenly stopped then and, for a moment, he was able to breathe again, but only momentarily, before it returned, more violently than before and, this time, a scream of agony made it past the vice on his throat, strangled and choked, and he tried to fight somehow, to bunch up his muscles and stop it. But nothing he did worked and all he could do was scream and cry, broken sounds as the entire thing dawned on him.

‘ _No…! Please… don’t…. don’t take my children away…!_’

 

“My goodness… Ulti’s brought quite some new friends over, hasn’t she…?” Kuja mumbled to himself as he regarded the Wyf that were swimming around the large castle.

Prompto watched how they swam, with their tails flicking from side to side, which was the exact opposite how he knew the Mer to swim with their up and down motion of their tails. Given this knowledge, he realized that these had to be the Wyf that Kuja had been talking about earlier.

“They’re gonna attack me on sight, aren’t they, Kuja?” he asked quietly.

“Most likely…” the Weiz sighed out, a pensive expression on his face. “Gosh… I wonder if they’ve come to help her fix that hole in her walls to the reef’s side…” he suddenly mumbled thoughtfully as he looked in the direction of said reef. “Would be a shame if her royal guests suffered a draft in their room, after all…”

Taking the rather cryptic hint, the blonde streaked off towards the hole near the reef, managing to avoid being spotted by the Wyf drifting about around the castle.

‘ _Thanks, Kuja. You’re something else,_ ’ he thought in amusement.

As Prompto moved along the walls, it didn’t take him long to spot the hole that Kuja had mentioned. It wasn’t very big and could easily be missed if you weren’t aware it existed, but it was large enough for Prompto to fit through. Once he was sure no one was around to see him, Prompto slipped through the hole with ease, being careful and quiet as he made his way through.

‘ _Hang in there, Noct, I’m comin’ for ya,_ ’ he thought determinedly.

 

“Huh… only two?”

The voice sounded so far away, but Noctis couldn’t focus on it properly. He couldn’t focus on _anything_ other than the pain that tore through his body and soul, penetrating his heart and leaving him a sobbing, weeping mess. There was a mild sense of relief from his body, but it was that very relief that tore him apart, because he knew what it meant…

“Hm… well, I suppose there’s nothing to do about it, then,” came the casual voice again, and Noctis could only watch with half-lidded, weary eyes as the large clam was closed, cutting him off, permanently, from its contents. “Perhaps it’s due to their human origins… but it doesn’t matter. You’ve done your part, prince. Well done.”

The words were empty to Noctis, and even if he wanted to, there was nothing that could be said as he watched the two Wyf swim away, their cold, heartless cackling echoing along the halls. His tormentor had disappeared already, and whether that was good or not, he wasn’t sure.

But he did know one thing for sure…

…he failed…

‘ _…I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry… I couldn’t protect you… I’m sorry…_ ’

He curled up, pulling his tail up against his chest and pressing his face against the cold scales, and he cried. He sobbed and wailed, unable to do anything else.

‘ _Prompto… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…_ ’

 

Despite the ease with which Prompto entered the hole, it took him much longer than he’d thought to get to the other side, but he managed. Just as he was about to come out on the other side, though, two voices were heard cackling from down the hallway, coming closer. Immediately, the blonde froze, and then backtracked further back into the hole again as he waited for the source of the cackling to pass by.

“That was easy~” cackled one of the voices.

“Easy that was~” echoed the other, though the order of the words seemed a bit off. “Foolish prince~ Holding on he thought he could~”

“Foolish indeed~”

The voices continued to cackle as they moved further and further away.

‘ _I wonder what they’re talking about? It has to be about Noct, whatever they mean…_ ’ Prompto thought worriedly.

After several agonizing moments of deadly silence, it was clear that Prompto was now (virtually) alone. Meaning it was safe to get out from his hiding spot. Satisfied with that knowledge, the human-turned-Mer finally slipped out, and then looked around the area he was now in. It appeared to be the dungeon…which meant Noctis must be here somewhere.

With his resolve in place, Prompto began to search for the raven, remaining silent as he did so as not to draw attention to himself. Most of the cells that Prompto past were dark and empty, not a single light source to be seen, making it difficult to see inside. Sometimes there would be skeletal remains, but little else aside from that could be determined.

However, as the blonde moved further down the halls, he caught a sound from one of the cells in the very back. And it was a sound he recognized… and one he’d hoped to never hear ever again; Noctis crying.

Prompto immediately darted over to the cell, whisper-shouting: “Noct! It’s me! Prompto!”

The noise hitched just then, and silence filled the hall. It made the dungeon seem much more intimidating than it actually was already. However, after a while, a soft, familiar voice choked out a single word;

“…Pr…Promp…to…?”

The blonde grabbed the cell’s bars, looking in to seek out the raven, but the darkness was making it difficult. “Noct, it’s really me! Come on, get over here! I came to save you!”

“…ah… heh… ahaha…”

Before Prompto could say anything, a cold, broken laugh echoed from the very back of the cell.

Realizing Noctis thought it must be some kind of dream, Prompto sighed. “Noct, I made a deal with a Weiz, and I’m a Mer now… even if it’s only temporary. I would do anything to see you smile again, I swear on my life! Remember how I said I would do anything to make sure you’re happy? You’re not right now, obviously, and I refuse to leave until you’re safe and I see you smiling again! Please, Noct, believe that it’s really me, please…” His voice became soft as he pleaded with his love.

 “… _pimmcred_ …” Noct’s voice breathed out. “…you can’t be here… it’s not possible…” His voice hitched then and a whimper escaped him. “…it’s coz I couldn’t hold on… isn’t it…? I should’ve… should’ve been able to hold on… should’ve been able to _protect_ them…! But I… I wasn’t…” A broken cry escaped the Mer. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“Noct, please, I gave up my camera as my price so I could find and save you, and I refuse to let this chance go to waste… I’m not leaving until you believe that it’s me, even if it costs me my life,” Prompto insisted, his voice wavering as he struggled to keep himself from crying.

Noctis didn’t appear to be listening, murmuring a litany of apologies over and over again.

Finally, Prompto looked around, before snatching up a bone from the floor and throwing it in Noctis’ direction, hoping the raven would realize this was real.

“ _Ow!_ ” Noctis yelped as the bone hit him (probably in the head), putting an end to the Mer’s apologies. “…ah… Prom…?”

“It’s really me, dammit!” the blonde huffed, pouting. “What did you think I was saying?!”

“…n… no way…” Noctis choked out, and then there was movement from the back – only for the Mer to let out a cry and a curse that was accompanied by the sound of clinking chains. “D-dammit…!!”

“Shit, they chained you to the wall?!” Prompto snarled. “These guys are stupid!”

“Pr-Prom… I… I’m sorry… I--”

“Don’t be. I’m gonna go look for the key so I can get you outta here, and get you home,” Prompto said firmly, before he turned and started to leave in order to look for the key…

However, the moment he turned around, the blade of a sword was suddenly pressed right at his throat from behind.

“Don’t move…”

“Gah!” the blonde yelped, unable to move.

“Be silent or I will cut you down, traitor…” a cold voice hissed out.

Prompto obeyed, swallowing nervously and feeling the tip of the sword’s blade barely touch his Adam’s apple.

“No… Leon! Let him go!!” Noctis shouted out, and the blade against the blonde’s throat tensed briefly. “He’s not with the Weiz or the Wyf! Release him, now!!”

“…As you wish, Your Highness…” the Mer said firmly, before the blade was removed.

“Wait, what?” a brunette Mer frowned, confused.

“If he’s not with them, who is he, Your Highness?” a silver-haired Mer asked.

“Geez! Way to scare a guy!” Prompto huffed.

“Both of you, enough,” a pale-haired Mer called out. “Sora, open this cell door, please.”

“Right,” the brunette, Sora, nodded, and then raised his key-shaped blade at the cell door, before a small beam of light shot from the end into the key hole of the cell’s lock, and then the door swung open.

“Noct!” Prompto very nearly cried, darting into the cell before anyone could stop him.

“Hey you little—” the Mer who’d held his blade to his throat before began, but there was no time for him to do anything as Prompto nearly swam smack into the black-haired Mer, who almost yelped as this threw him back, the chains clinking together loudly.

“Noct! I was fucking worried out of my damn _mind_ about you!” the blonde whimpered as he got close.

“Just who is this guy?” the silverette demanded, confused as can be.

“…whoever he is… he’s got a lot of nerve to address the Prince so informally…” the taller brunette snarled softly.

“…I believe there may be something more to this than we’re aware of, Leon,” the pale-haired Mer said firmly as he swam into the cell. “Your Highness,” he called as he approached, making Noctis look up. “Are you injured? Would you be able to swim with us?”

Noctis didn’t say anything immediately, before he slowly shook his head. “I’m… I’m fine, Cecil… I can keep up if… if I must…”

“Good,” the Mer—Cecil—said with a nod, before he moved over. “We’d best get you out of these chains then. Riku!”

“Yes sir,” the silverette, Riku, said quickly, before using his own key-shaped blade to unlock the cuffs from the chains on Noctis’ wrists. As soon as they unlocked, Prompto caught them before they could hit the ground, preventing the potential for loud noise. Once he had set them softly on the ground, he was quick to wrap his arms around the raven in a firm hug.

‘ _Screw the usual Mer stuff right now. This is what feels right to me,_’ he thought. “I missed you…”

“Ah…” Noctis hesitated for a moment, before he also decided to just screw the Mer customs and curled his arms around the blonde human-turned-Mer.

“…hmph…” Leon scoffed as he turned away solemnly. “We should leave… we found what we came for…”

“…! N-no, wait!!”

“Noct? What’s wrong?” Prompto frowned, concerned as he watched the raven’s panicked expression.

“Your Majesty, don’t you want to go home?” Sora asked.

“Sora’s right. We need to get out of here, soon,” Riku agreed.

“I… I can’t… can’t leave yet…”

“Your Highness, it’s too dangerous, here,” Cecil pointed out as he swam over. “Please; we need to leave.”

“ _I can’t!!_ ” Noctis nearly screamed, startling the other Mer and making them stare at the raven in alarm. “…I… I’m sorry… I just…”

Seeing how upset his lover was, Prompto furrowed his brows before asking quietly, “Noct… Just what did they take from you?”

At those words, Cecil frowned in question, before something seemed to register with him. “…I see…” he murmured, as he moved down somewhat, into a makeshift bow. “Nevertheless, Your Highness, it is important for you to escape this place.”

“But…!”

“Riku,” Cecil called out. “You and I will continue into the castle to continue the search. Sora, Leon, escort the Prince and his companion out of here.”

“…understood.”

“Not until he gets back what they took,” Prompto growled, glaring at Cecil, and Sora and Riku stiffened in shock at the blonde’s defiance.

“…this is nonnegotiable, young Mer,” Cecil said firmly. “Sora, Leon.”

“…yeah, got it,” Leon scoffed, right before he swam over and snagged Prompto around his waist.

“Hey!” Prompto protested “I can swim myself outta here, dammit!” Meanwhile, Sora drifted over to Noctis, holding out his hand.

“Come on, Your Majesty. Let’s go home,” he smiled soothingly.

“Ah…” Noctis tried to object, but when he looked to Cecil and saw the pale-haired Mer’s serious expression, he relaxed somewhat and he nodded, allowing Sora to assist him as Leon swam off again.

“…right, Let’s go, Riku.”

Prompto grumbled as he was literally carried along, but kept his voice down nonetheless as Sora helped Noctis along.


	23. Harsh Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Facing reality is not always easy...

While black was considered to be the national color of Insomnia, it was not a color that was considered to be overused. If anything, because of its ties to the royal family, it could actually be considered a color to be underused. The Weiz, on the other hand, seemed to use nothing _but_ black in their interior designing, and it made the castle seem that much more foreboding than it already was.

“These guys need better interior decorators…” Tidus hissed softly as the four Kingsglaive members moved through the halls, sticking to the shadows and dark crevices in the walls with as limited motion as they possibly could.

The halls were dark, barely lit, and to make it even less appealing, the few lights that _were_ there, used the skeletons of various fish to line them.

“Yeah, it’s depressing,” Roxas agreed quietly.

“Definitely makes you nervous,” Axel nodded.

“…hm…” was Cloud’s only add-on to the situation.

Tidus suddenly stopped swimming and frowned darkly. “…you guys hear that…?” he whispered.

“Cred, Wyf,” Axel growled.

“…this way,” Cloud hissed, pushing open the nearest door and ducking inside.

The others were quick to follow inside, and Tidus shut the door behind them (quietly) before pressing his ear against it. “…closing in…” he whispered.

Roxas tensed as he listened keenly to the approaching Wyfs’ cackles.

While the cackling was still mostly indistinguishable, there was no denying that they were coming closer. Which was what prompted Cloud to hiss out “Hide,” making all four of them scatter to different corners of the room. Regardless of their hiding, though, Roxas continued to listen with his sharper hearing.

With all of their breathing reduced to slow, soundless currents of water, it was easier for Roxas to distinguish the voices and what they were saying.

“The sorceress will be most pleased~”

“Most pleased the sorceress will be~ Eggs of the Lucis Line she has now~”

“Revenge against Lucis is now ensured~”

“Ensured her revenge will surely be~”

As soon as Roxas heard the words, and they clicked, his sapphire eyes widened in horror and his jaw dropped open. “No…!” he gasped almost silently.

The cackling soon dissipated, though they were still audible in the distance, finally allowing the Mer to get out of hiding.

“Whew! Too close… Guess we know which way we’re NOT going…” Tidus mumbled softly.

“We NEED to follow them, guys!” Roxas insisted, making Tidus look over in surprise, and even Axel frowned.

“Rox, what are you talking about?” the redhead asked, confused.

“They have His Majesty’s eggs!” the blonde very nearly yelled.

“They have WHAT?!” Tidus choked out in alarm, and even Cloud was showing actual shock, for once.

“…Roxas, you’re sure?” the taller blonde questioned.

“I heard them talking about how the sorceress has the eggs of the Lucis Line,” he whimpered.

“Then we have to get them back,” Axel said firmly.

“…” Cloud frowned dangerously, before he scoffed. “Then we follow… quietly. Go.”

“Gotcha,” Tidus hissed.

Both Axel and Roxas nodded determinedly, before following Cloud and Tidus out into the hallway and after the two cackling Wyf.

It took them only a short while to catch up to them, and it was easy to spot one of the Wyf carrying what looked like a hefty clam. However, as they followed Cloud frowned as he realized that the two would be getting into the castle’s main area soon. Which meant that they would lose their chance to retrieve the eggs.

“…Axel…” the blonde hissed.

“Gotcha,” the redhead smirked, before hurling his chakrams at the two Wyf, one chakram per Wyf, and knocking them out cold.

“Tidus,” Cloud said immediately as the clam was flung forward because of them being knocked forward.

“On it!!” the blonde hissed and snapped out his tail rapidly, shooting forward with speeds unmatched by his teammates, catching the clam before it could collide with anything. “Got it!”

“We should make sure they’re okay,” Roxas said worriedly.

“Right,” Tidus mumbled as he came over and carefully undid the clasp that kept the clam shut, flipping it open cautiously.

Inside, within its soft cushions, rested two orbs about the size of a child’s fist, a deep black in color, and yet through its surface, one could faintly make out the shapes of two miniature figures, curled up within the orbs in silent slumber.

“They look good, thank god…” the smaller blonde sighed in relief, leaning slightly against Axel.

“…good,” Cloud murmured as Tidus closed the clam up again. “…we should leave.”

“But what about the Prince?” Tidus questioned.

“…they will be expecting the eggs to be delivered soon, no doubt…” Cloud pointed out. “…if we spend too much time here, we’ll be discovered and we’ll likely lose them again… _then_ how will we face His Majesty?”

“Good point,” Axel nodded.

“I’ll bet Cecil and the others have found him by now, anyway,” Roxas pointed out.

Cloud hummed softly… before he suddenly turned his head. “…speak of the seadevil…”

“Did you guys find him?” Axel inquired, noticing the lack of Leon and Sora.

“The Prince is safe,” Cecil confirmed. “However, we have other issues to worry about…”

Cloud regarded the pale-haired Mer for a moment, before he snorted and said: “…if it’s about His Majesty’s eggs, it’s been dealt with.”

“…what?”

“I overheard two of the Wyf talking about them, so Axel knocked them out with his chakrams. And Tidus caught them before they could be damaged, though,” Roxas explained.

“Nice work,” Riku smirked.

“So we got everything, right?” Tidus questioned, a small smirk on his face. “Let’s get on outta here, then!”

“Agreed. Let’s—”

However, before Cecil could finish, a piercing wail echoed throughout the castle, shaking the walls and making causing the currents in the halls to jostle them around.

“…! They must’ve noticed the Prince’s disappearance…”

“And if not that… the delay in the egg delivery will have tipped them off…” Cecil added to Cloud’s words, as he looked down the hall on the other side. “Tidus, you’re the fastest of all of us. Take the eggs and go.”

“Right!”

“Axel, Roxas, cover his escape route to prevent any from chasing him.”

“Gotcha,” the pair nodded firmly, and took off with Tidus.

“Cloud, Riku… they need a distraction. Let’s go!!”

“…right.”

Riku merely lifted his Keyblade slightly, preparing to do whatever it took to make sure everyone made it out and back to Insomnia alive.

 

“Foolishness…” a cold woman’s voice said from within the depths of the pitch black castle. “Did they truly think they could get away with taking him away?”

She was a powerful Weiz, but at the same time, she had been cursed by those around her, as the deep markings in her skin told. Cast out by all other Weiz, yet still holding as much power as she did, she was someone that most wouldn’t dare to cross paths with. Anyone seeing her would agree; this woman was dangerous…

“Hello, Ultimecia, dear, how have you been?”

Upon those words, the woman looked up icily, her sharp yellow eyes glaring solemnly at the intruder… and yet it did nothing.

“Kuja…” she said as the Weiz lazily made his way into the room. “Why are you here?”

“How rude, dear… can’t I even visit an old friend nowadays?” the silver-haired Weiz pouted unhappily, before he quickly shook it off and moved further into the room. “So, dear, I’ve been hearing all these nasty rumors swimming around… about you aligning yourself with the Wyf, for instance.”

Ultimecia merely regarded the other for a moment, before she snorted. “That is not your concern any longer.”

“Aww, don’t be that way, dear,” Kuja nearly whined. “Are you really so devoted on your silly little ‘revenge’ you’d willingly align yourself with someone like that? That doesn’t sound like you at all, dear…”

“There’s no reason for you to concern yourself with this matter, Kuja.”

Kuja regarded the other Weiz silently for a long time as she moved around the room, his expression solemn and dark. ‘ _You are a fool, Ulti,_ ’ he thought to himself, a dangerous glint in his eyes. ‘ _Your revenge will only destroy yourself, rather than those you wish to see come to harm. It will not bring you solace… it will not bring you retribution… it will only bring you your own premature death… foolish woman…_ ’

“Also…” Kuja said, his expression lightening as he hummed thoughtfully. “What’s this I heard about you having royalty over? One not hailing from Niff-territory…”

“This does not concern you, Kuja,” Ultimecia said again. “I request you leave.”

“How cruel you are, Ulti…” the male Weiz sighed out. “So cruel… And here I thought you’d be at least happy to see a familiar face…”

“I’ve moved past that,” she said firmly. “I suggest you do, too.”

Kuja regarded the woman, who still refused to face him properly one more time, before he turned away with a cold smirk. ‘ _Foolish indeed…_ _you don’t even realize… the key to your revenge… has already been snatched away from you… Foolish woman…_ ’

 

Meanwhile, Leon and Sora were bringing had just reached the edge of the Weiz’s borders, carrying their respective charges along with them. There’d been several moments where they’d almost been spotted, but thanks to the pair’s training, they’d miraculously managed to stay within the shadows. And now that they’d reached the border, they were (relatively) safe.

“…we should be far enough away now,” Leon said firmly as he finally released Prompto.

As Leon spoke, Sora kindly helped Noctis rest against a rock, and Prompto drifted over worriedly.

“You okay, Noct?” he asked, his tone heavily laced with concern. Sora watched the exchange, and despite Leon’s suspicions, he knew this strange Mer had a good heart. The taller brunette watched the exchange with a dark frown on his face, even though Noctis seemed to be just fine with being addressed the way he was by the blonde merman.

“…yeah… I’m okay… I’m okay…” the raven murmured softly.

“Hey, Noct?” Prompto said, gaining the raven’s attention. “…How come you never told me you’re a prince?”

Noctis blinked, before he smirked softly, though it seemed a bit weary. “Does it matter? Like it would’ve had any significance up there,” he quips cheekily.

“Still, I had no idea you’re freaking royalty!” the blonde pouted.

“Again, does that matter?”

Rolling his eyes, Prompto then smiled in relief. “I’m just glad you’re alive and safe now…”

“Okay, I gotta ask. Just who _are_ you, anyway?” Sora finally piped up.

“Eh, long story right now, and I’d rather not have to repeat myself. Can it wait for just a bit?” Prompto asked, giving a sheepish grin.

“Sora,” Noctis said solemnly, drawing the brunette’s attention, even as he took Prompto’s hand in his own. “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

The brunette nodded, but smiled brightly when he saw the gesture.

Just then, a distant wail-like sound from the direction of the castle, drawing everyone’s attention back in its direction.

“…ch… looks like they’ve figured it out…”

“Busted…” Prompto growled.

“We need to go,” Sora said urgently.

“But…what about the others?” the blonde questioned.

“If we could alert them that the prince was found… then Nyx would surely sound the retreat…”

Blinking in realization and remembering what Ignis had told him before, Prompto quickly grabbed the shell that he was glad he had Luna give him before. Placing the pointe tip to his lips, he then blew into it.

Despite having heard the sound of the horn before, when it was played under water, it was suddenly a lot deeper than it had been on land. On top of that, it went on for much further as well, even though Prompto himself wasn’t aware of exactly how far.

 

“…! That’s…!” Nyx breathed out as the horn’s sound reverberated through the waters around them. Smirking in relief, he shouted out to the other Kingsglaives; “Mission accomplished!! Everyone move!!”

“Sir!!”

 

“What…?!” Ultimecia choked out as the sound penetrated the walls of her castle, but Kuja merely hummed, a small, curious smirk on his face.

“My, my… someone’s making a lot of noise… aren’t they?” he murmured with a chuckle. ‘ _Very good, dear… let her know that she’s already lost._ ’ He said nothing as he regarded Ultimecia from the corner of his eyes. ‘ _This is what you get… when you break the laws, after all._ ’

 

“…where did you get that?!” Leon demanded icily once the sound had faded.

“Noct gave it to me a while back, but Ignis told me to blow it if I found him alive and safe,” Prompto replied, blinking. “Why?”

“Leon,” Noctis said before the brunette could say anything else, “not now, please.”

“…As you wish, Your Highness.”

“Hmm?” Sora hummed suddenly, perking up. “Hey, it’s Tidus!”

Just as the four Mer looked up, it was just in time to see Tidus swimming into range, and then spinning himself into a backflip to stop his forward momentum completely, and for a moment he just hung in place, gulping up the oxygen he so desperately needed, before he quickly bowed. And all that while clutching a large clam to his chest.

“I… I apologize for my tardiness, Your Majesty,” he said swiftly, before he swam closer and held out the clam as if the shell held all the secrets to the universe and he was offering it up the prince. “I believe that… these are yours, Your Majesty.”

Noctis stared in shock at the large clam for a moment, his eyes wide and a hand covering his mouth. Because he recognized it, and he knew what it held. “…you… you got them back…?”

“What is it?” Prompto asked curiously, watching Noctis.

But Noctis wasn’t able to answer as he reached out with trembling fingers and undid the clasp of the clam, carefully opening it up to show the two dark black orbs inside. And as he laid his eyes on them, Prompto was shocked to see the look of utter relief in the prince’s eyes. “Thank god…” he breathed out, almost sounding on the verge of tears (if it’d been possible to shed tears under water). “Thank god… they… they’re okay… they’re safe… th… thank you…”

“Noct… what are those…?” the blonde asked softly, sounding very hesitant to break whatever state Noctis was currently in.

“That can wait,” Leon said immediately. “Your Highness, with all due respect, we need to move before we’re discovered.”

“…right… you’re right…” Noctis got out, moving his hands back and allowing Tidus to close the clam again.

Snorting softly, the scarred brunette turned around and then released a powerful whistle-like shout from the back of his throat. And ten seconds later, eight massive seahorses shot out of hiding and stopped right by the group of Mer with loud whines and whinnies. And Prompto jolted, shocked by the presence of the huge creatures that had suddenly appeared seemingly out of nothing.

“Hey, wait up!” Roxas’ voice shouted, and he and Axel joined them shortly after.

“Who’s that?” the redhead frowned when he saw Prompto.

“That can wait,” Leon pointed out. “Where’s Cloud?”

“Should be here in a sec,” Axel mumbled.

And no sooner had the redhead finished those words, or Cecil, Cloud and Riku swam down to them. “Good, everyone’s here,” Cecil said firmly with a nod. “We need to go, hurry! Leon, take His Highness with you!”

“…understood.”

“Roxas, take his companion with you.”

“Uh, okay?” Roxas said, quirking a brow, but, nevertheless, he guided Prompto onto his seahorse, getting on right behind him, right before they all took off.

The moment they did, though, Prompto became acutely aware of the likely reason why Noctis had been so afraid of riding Chocobos back on land. Unlike the Chocobos, the seahorses barely moved as they shot through the water with only their tails coiling behind them, whereas Chocobos shifted their weight from left to right with every step. Though this certainly didn’t mean their speed was any less than Chocobos; they swam and weaved almost effortlessly through the reefs and corals with practiced ease, whinnying and neighing as they went.

As the seahorses rushed through the reefs, however, a loud whinny drew Prompto’s attention to the side, just in time to see even more of the same seahorses catching up by use of the undertow off to the side, each one ridden by a Mer as well. One of the Mer, clearly the leader of the group, took in the entourage that the group had with them, and he smiled in relief, before he took the lead of the pack.

And as the ride continued on, Prompto began feeling the thrill as the water rushed past his face like the wind would on land when riding the back of a Chocobo, and he looked at Noctis with a grin. As though he was feeling the look thrown his way, Noctis glanced over, and, upon seeing the grin, allowed a small smirk of his own.

“Hey, just how _do_ you know His Majesty, anyway?” the blonde behind Prompto asked, and the human-turned-Mer merely gave a mysterious smile before he spoke.

“I’ll explain soon,” he shrugged.

Just as Prompto said that, the seahorses shot up and over a hillside, and the moment they were over, he was greeted with the sight of an underwater city with buildings that were higher than anything he’d ever seen before, even on land, its radius as wide as, if not wider than, Altissia, or even close to Lestallum. And the way the sun from above glinted off of the silvery-black surfaces made it seem even more surreal than it already was.

“Whoa…!” Prompto breathed, awed by the majesty and regality of the entire place.

“Heads low, everyone!” the Mer up front shouted out. “We’re about to pass through the Wall!!”

When Prompto failed to lower his head as ordered, though, Roxas was quick to shove his head into ducking, drawing a yelp from the taller blonde.

And then, the seahorses slammed into, and then through some sort of barrier that bent under them, opening briefly to allow them through, before falling shut behind them once again. Once beyond the “Wall”, as the leader had called it, the seahorses slowed down and then altered course, moving toward one of the nearby buildings, where, one by one, the Mer dismounted and passed the seahorses to the attendants.

As Prompto dismounted with Roxas, Noctis smiled at the blonde’s awe, before he said; “Welcome to Insomnia, Prom.”

Prompto smiled brightly at Noctis, before saying, “It’s even more amazing than Altissia could even _hope_ to be…”

Noctis merely smiled, before the leader of the group came over.

“Your Highness,” he spoke, and Noct solemnly turned to him as the Mer bowed. “It is good to see you unharmed, Sire. I apologize for our tardiness.”

“It is fine, Nyx,” Noctis spoke firmly, in a tone that Prompto had never heard from Noctis before. “It is done with. There is no need to worry any longer. You’ve all done well.”

Nyx briefly looked up, before he (and all other Mer within hearing) bowed even lower. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Prompto, not sure how to react, merely remained where he was, watching the scene unfold.

Finally, the Mer all straightened up and Nyx turned to the others. “Roxas, Tidus, escort the Prince to the Citadel.”

“Yes sir,” Tidus said, adjusting his grip on the clam he still held.

“Wait, what about me?” Prompto frowned.

“Do you have to ask?” Noctis chuckled, taking Prompto’s hand. “You’re coming with.”

“Well, I didn’t hear anything about your ‘companion’ coming with,” the blonde snorted.

Noctis merely chuckled, before he tugged on the blonde’s hand as he began to swim after Roxas and Tidus. And Prompto followed eagerly, an almost dopey grin on his face. He felt drunk on happiness right now.

 

As they swam on, higher above the “streets” to stay out of everyone’s way, Noctis’ hand squeezed the blonde’s firmly, even though he kept his gaze ahead of him, on the Kingglaive members as they swam ahead. It didn’t take long for Prompto to realize where they were going; to the very center of the large underwater city… the “Citadel”, he believe they called it. It towered over all other buildings with ease, and its entire surface seemed to sparkle from a distance.

He wondered what it was even made of…

As soon as they arrived, a pink and brown blur shot from inside out and practically tackled Noctis in a hug.

“Noctis!!!” the blur wailed. “I was so worried about you!! You’re okay, right?!”

Prompto watched for a moment more, before realizing it was Iris who’d just swam into the prince, and he laughed.

“Iris! Calm down!” Noctis chuckled out, patting the girl’s head. “I’m okay. I’m home, now.”

“Thank god…” she breathed. As she pulled away finally, she then happened to look at Prompto, before openly gawking. “Wait a sec… PROMPTO?!”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” the blonde grinned.

“But… how did…?” she trailed off, confused.

“Later, Iris, okay?” Noctis said as he ruffled the girl’s hair. “I’ll explain everything later, promise.”

“Oh… all right,” she sighed. “I’m holding you to it, though!”

“We will, Iris!” Prompto laughed.

“You Highness, we should move,” Tidus called out politely, and Noctis nodded.

“Right… I apologize, Tidus. Let’s go,” Noct said, as he began to lead the way further into the massive building.

Prompto was quick to stick close to the raven as they swam inside, and he looked around in awe as they headed in. while black appeared to be a recurring color here, it wasn’t overwhelming, and the place gave off the vibe that it had been well-maintained and cared for.

As they moved along the halls, it wasn’t long before they ran into another familiar face. Though this one was a lot more reserved than Iris had been.

“Noct,” Ignis said as he came over, carrying a small stack of scrolls under his arm. As he came into range, he put one hand to the prince’s shoulder and said firmly: “You caused us all a lot of grief. You know this, right?”

“Yes, I know… I’m sorry…” Noctis apologized sincerely to the advisor.

“Hey Ignis!” Prompto grinned suddenly.

Upon that call, Ignis looked over curiously… and his eyes widened almost comically. “Wait… aren’t you… Prompto?”

“In the living flesh and tail!” the human-turned-Mer laughed. Oh, the usually stoic Ignis’s expression like that? Priceless!

“How did—” Ignis started, before he shook the matter off and quickly composed himself. “…We can discuss this later… Noctis, His Majesty is in his chamber… resting.”

Noctis tensed sharply at the news, and even his tail stopped its light motions that were to keep him in place. “…is… is he…?” he choked out.

“He is well. Just tired,” Ignis assured him. “The Wall has been taking its toll on him.”

“…I see… thank you.” Noctis sighed softly, before he turned to the two Kingsglaive members. “Thank you for taking me this far, Tidus, Roxas. Tidus, please give the clam to Prompto.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Tidus said with a polite bow, before he swam over to Prompto and passed him the clam. However, before Prompto could take it over entirely, Tidus, held it tightly for a moment and hissed softly: “Be. Careful with these,” before he released it.

Prompto growled as he took it, before he spat: “These obviously mean the world to him. I would _never_  cause him pain by being careless.”

Tidus glared briefly, but one look from the prince made him back off. “You can tell Nyx I’ve returned safely. I’m sure Father will call on you once he’s recovered.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Roxas nodded, before ushering Tidus out of the area.

Once the two were gone, Noctis nodded to Ignis, and then turned to Prompto. “Prom, this way,” he said, before starting down another hallway.

“Okay,” the blonde smiled, before following him as he held the clam close almost instinctively. He wondered what exactly the orbs inside were, and why they meant so much to Noctis. He didn’t dare to ask just yet though. He would wait until the right time to ask Noctis about their origin and meaning.

The trip takes him up some sort of spiraling tower (it wasn’t really a “staircase” since there were no “steps”), up to the higher levels, and Noctis eventually moved over to a large doorway at the end of the hall. For a moment, he hesitated in front of the door, biting his lip, before he reached out and pushed it open slowly, not bothering to knock.

“…Father?” he called out as he swam inside slowly, wincing as there was a heavy groan from the center of the room.

“…Noc…tis…?”

Noct bit his lip again, before he swam further inside.

Prompto, however, hesitated, nervous to face who he realized was the King of the Mer. He waited outside, not sure if he should follow, though he did peek inside around the door. He could just barely spot the Mer resting in the room; an elderly, gray-haired male with shoulder length hair and a matching beard, giving him a gentle appearance, though Prompto was sure he could just as easily look very stern if he had to. He couldn’t see the man’s tail from under the blanket (how did those even stay on in the water?), but he assumed it to be the same as Noct’s; black-scaled.

Noctis didn’t notice Prompto staying behind initially, as he settled beside the large shell shaped bed, holding his father’s hand as Regis wearily pushed himself up to sit upon the mattress. “You’re… back…”

“Yes, I am…” Noctis said, squeezing his father’s hand worriedly. “I’m sorry for worrying you… I was… I was an idiot… I-I shouldn’t have…”

To his surprise, Regis merely laughed, after which the older Mer reached up to ruffle his son’s hair. “You’re young, Noct,” the King said kindly. “When you’re young, you’re prone to do things that you may regret later in life. We all go through such phases at one point.”

“…really?” Noctis wondered, blinking his eyes at his father. He’d never actually heard him speak about things like this, and it made him wonder. “…then… did you…?”

Regis laughed kindly. “Yes, even I did some stupid things in my youth. And yes, I gave your grandfather quite a bit of grief, too.”

Noctis stared for a moment more, before he was able to crack a smile and was able to laugh as well. “I… I see. I wouldn’t have guessed…”

Regis smiled warmly, before he tugged his son closer, and Noctis didn’t fight him as the older Mer hugged him close, wordlessly returning the hug with a content smile. The blonde smiled softly at the sight, but he was still anxious. This is like when a guy meets his girlfriend’s dad for the first time, sheesh! Except things are totally different in this case.

Just then, the gray-haired Mer peeked over his son’s head and noticed Prompto in the doorway, and he hummed curiously. “Oh? Who did you bring with you, Noct?”

“Huh…?” Noct blinked, before he turned to the doorway. Upon noticing Prom in the doorway he frowned and straightened up. “Prom! C’mon in here!”

“S-sorry!” Prompto stuttered, hurrying inside. “Wasn’t sure if I was supposed to come in or not…” he mumbled.

Noctis snorted softly, and the King chuckled. “Oh? This is this ‘Prompto’ boy Iris mentioned?”

The Prince spluttered for a moment as he whirled on his father in alarm. “Sh-she told you…!?”

“Under pressure, I assure you,” Regis assured his son. “She was very determined to keep it a secret, Noct.”

“…I see…”

Regis merely smiled, before he turned to Prompto. “Though I am surprised… I was informed you were not one of us, lad…”

“Eh, yeah, I’m technically not…” Prompto admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I… exchanged something precious to me to a Weiz so I could be a Mer, even if it’s just temporary…” He then added quickly: “But he said if I link myself to the Mer people, then I’ll be able to stay as one!” He paused, biting his lip nervously. “Even though I don’t understand what that means…I’d like to stay with Noct—I mean Noctis, sir…”

“‘Link yourself to the Mer’?” Regis repeated, a curious glint in his eyes, but Noct’s eyes widened in realization, before he chuckled.

“Oh… I see…” he got out amidst his chuckles.

“What does that mean, anyway?” Prompto frowned. “The guy was cryptic as hell!”

“Before that… Father…” Noctis said, turning to the King. “I… I have an admission to make…” he said, sounding almost unsure, suddenly.

Prompto fell silent then, keeping his own curiosity in check as Noctis spoke, adjusting his grip on the clam a bit.

“Oh? What kind of admission, son?”

“Prom?” Noctis said as he looked to the blonde. “May I…?” he asked, gesturing to the clam.

“Uh, sure,” the smaller male nodded, passing the clam to the raven.

“Thank you,” Noctis said with a smile, before he turned to his father, moving down and placing the clam along his father’s lap, reaching out and undoing the clasp. After that, he briefly took a deep breath, before he pulled the shell open once more.

Upon seeing the contents of the clam, the King’s eyes went wide in surprise, and, for a moment, he seemed struck speechless, before a small smile came on his face. “These… are yours, my son?”

“Yes… they are…” Noctis admitted, keeping his gaze aimed down as his father reached for the black pearls and gently ran the pad of his finger along them.

Finally, Prompto couldn’t hold in the question anymore. He _had_ to know. “Noct, just what are those?”

Noctis looked up for a moment, before he sighed and straightened up. This was going to hit the blonde hard, he just knew it, but he knew just as well that it had to be said. He had every right to know. After a moment longer, he turned to Prompto. “They’re… they’re eggs. Specifically… _my_ eggs…”

“W-wait…what?” the blonde breathed, shocked, and his eyes went almost comically wide. Those words didn’t make sense; Noctis was male, he’d witnessed that personally, and he was pretty sure that Noctis hadn’t actually been with a female Mer during the time he’d been with Prompto on land. So… “But…how…?”

“Due to our dwindling numbers,” King Regis answered instead of his son, “our kind has been forced to adapt. To ensure our race is able to survive, all Mer became capable of carrying eggs.”

“…Yeah…” Noctis added softly with a small nod.

The news was a lot to take in, and it took quite a few minutes before Prompto had fully wrapped his head around the knowledge. But when it finally dawned on him that male Mer could give birth (or lay eggs, to be specific) he suddenly remembered Noctis’ reluctance and then anger towards them having sex back when the raven was human, and as that sank in completely, he paled as he understood exactly why that had been now.

“Oh my god…” he whimpered, his voice quivering and he could feel heat gathering in his eyes, and though he couldn’t cry tears under the sea, he was pretty sure that’s what was happening now. “You mean that the price for you becoming human was to give up your eggs…? Then that means I… I… Oh god…!”

As it all hit him, and hit him _hard,_ he gripped his hair tightly, almost tearing his hair out. “It’s all my fault…!”

“Prom, it’s okay…” Noctis said as he moved over and pulled the shorter male against him. “It’s okay, it’s okay… shush…” he soothed, running a hand through the blonde’s hair.

“No it’s _not_ , dammit! It’s my fault you were captured and you suffered because of me!” Prompto sobbed. “All because I was fucking _selfish!!_ ”

“Prom… sshh… calm down…” Noctis continued to soothe, still running his hand through his hair, with the other rubbing his back. “Sssh… it’s okay… I’m okay now… we’re _all_ okay…”

The smaller male shook with the force of his sobs, continuing to choke out apology after apology.

Noctis frowned sadly at the constant apologies, and he briefly looked to his father, but the old Mer merely smiled in understanding and nodded his head. Nodding his thanks quietly, Noctis secured his arms firmly around Prompto, and then lightly snapped out his tail, pulling the boy up higher into the room, before he coiled them around the room, gently spinning them around as he did.

Eventually, this tactic seemed to work, and Prompto ended up settling into a sniffling, hiccupping mess. “I… I don’t deserve you after this, Noct…” he whispered, looking at the raven with emotional turmoil evident in his eyes.

“Ssshh…” Noctis shushed, placing their foreheads together and rubbing their noses alongside each other. “It’s okay, Prom… it’s o-kay.”

“How can you forgive me after something like that, though? I had no idea…” he asked quietly. “I hate myself for it…”

“Prompto,” Noctis said firmly, making the blonde look him in the eye. “Look at me; I’m here now, and I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Yes, things were bad for a while… but we got through it… and we’ll do this together. I swear… we’ll get through this.”

Prompto gaze into the raven’s eyes, and saw that Noctis was being completely honest with him, and still loved him, even after… _that_.

“…I believe you,” he murmured, finally managing to smile slightly. He then gave an almost watery laugh from the crying before asking, a bit hesitantly: “We’re gonna be parents, huh?”

“Yes… yes, we are,” Noctis said with a warm smile, pulling the blonde close to him.

“…I want to be with you forever, Noct,” Prompto whispered after a while. “Whatever it takes, I want to stay.”

Noctis allowed a soft chuckle, a knowing glint in his eyes, but rather than bring that up, he murmured: “Do you want to see them?”

“Absolutely,” the blonde nodded eagerly.

Smiling warmly, Noct took the blonde’s hand and tugged him back to where his father still sat, watching with a small smile of his own. As they came into reach, he turned the clam so that Prompto could have his first, proper looks at Noct’s— _their_ —eggs.

The smaller male gazed at their eggs in awe, his eyes reflecting the feeling easily. Carefully, he reached out and ran his hand along one, then the other, before feeling pure joy swell in his heart. The eggs were warm when he touched them, especially compared to the cold of the sea around them. And as Prompto looked even closer at the eggs, he could see the shapes of two tiny figures curled up within them, sleeping peacefully as they awaited the day they would be big enough to come out.

“H…how long until they hatch?” he asked softly, unable to look away.

“Three months,” Noct said softly as he placed a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “The shells are soft and will grow with them, until they can break through with their nails.”

Prompto looked at Noctis with a content expression, and knew that if he could shed tears right now, he definitely would. And pretty quick, too.

“I love you so much, Noct…” he murmured. “And I’m gonna love these little ones just as much.”

Noctis smiled softly as he squeezed Prompto’s shoulder, whispering a gentle “I love you, too,” before King Regis spoke.

“Noct, why don’t you take your eggs to your room? I’m sure you boys have much to discuss. Don’t worry,” he added when Noct was about to object. “I’ll be fine. I just need to rest these weary scales for a little while. I’m not as young as you boys anymore, after all.”

This made Noctis smile softly and he nodded. “Alright… thank you, Father… and rest well.” As he nodded his head politely, he gently shut the clam again and lifted ir up, turning to Prompto. “Let’s go.”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, and then followed after, eager to be alone with his only love.


	24. Life Beneath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lessons begin beneath the surface of the water.

Once they were out of the King’s chamber, Noctis led Prompto further down the same hall to a smaller doorway, which he pushed open silently, before he turned to Prompto and smiled at him. Upon that gesture, the blonde gave the raven a shy look before he slowly entered the room first.

The room was smaller than that of the King, but still very large. There was a large shell-shaped bed at the back end of the room, a hefty “bookcase” filled with a variety of objects aside from the scrolls it had probably been meant for. There was also a small table in the center, but there were no chairs around it, but given how low to the ground it was, that was likely the point. The walls were adorned with various different shells at seemingly random locations, and on the other side was a large “window” that was currently sealed off with a huge shell.

“It’s not as fancy as yours… but I usually don’t stay inside much…” Noctis offered with a small shrug as he followed Prompto inside and shut the door.

“Hey, I like this _much_ better than my place,” Prompto huffed, smiling at Noctis.

“…really?” Noctis asked as he looked up from where he was placing the clam on a small table in the center of the room. “Why?”

“It makes me think of you and that I’m with you now. If I’d ended up going back to my place, I wouldn’t have had anything to remember you by,” Prompto pointed out. “Other than memories, that is.”

“…” The Mer just watched Prom for a moment more in silence, before he sighed with a small smile and moved over, silently pulling Prompto into a hug.

The blonde hugged him back, before pulling away. “‘Sides, I don’t have any pictures of us anymore,” he confessed. “I gave my camera up in exchange to be a Mer…”

“You _what?!_ ” Noctis got out, pulling away to look at the blonde. “Why did—I thought that was important to you!”

“It was, but not as important as being with you,” Prompto murmured, lowering his gaze. He then looked up at Noctis with his resolve plain to see in his gaze. “Like I told that Weiz, I would do _anything_ to be with you and make you happy.”

Noctis could only stare at him for a long time, before his mouth curled into a small smile and he sighed. “Idiot…” he mumbled, moving in and gently locking their lips together.

The smaller male kissed back happily, relieved that Noctis wasn’t mad at him for his decision.

After a long time spent enjoying the kiss, Noctis pulled away and pulled Prompto over to the bed. “Here,” he said. “See if you can lie down.”

“Uh, okay,” Prompto nodded, and then tried to lay down in Noctis’ bed, but still found himself unable to stay still. “Kinda hard when I feel weightless, Noct…”

Noctis laughed softly, before he swam down as well, settling on the bed with his fin lightly waving, before going still along the bed. “You have to use your fin to push yourself into place.”

“Easy for you. You’re used to it,” the blonde pouted, but copied Noctis’ actions anyway before finding himself staying in place by the raven’s side.

“See?” Noct chuckled. “Not that hard, is it?”

“No…”

And then, without any sort of warning, Noct moved in and kissed Prompto again.

Prompto’s pouted vanished at the contact, and he kissed back tenderly, simply enjoying being with his lover.

When Noctis pulled away again, he frowned in slight question. “…hey Prom?”

“Hmm?”

“How did you learn to speak Mer?”

“Oh, uh… Don’t kill me, but…the Weiz that I made the deal with kissed me so I could…” Prompto mumbled, looking nervous, before his eyes widened as he babbled. “But I didn’t know he was gonna! I swear, I had no idea! It felt so wrong!”

“…” The look on Noct’s face was dark and dangerous, watching the blonde with a deep frown, his tail slowly moving along the bed.

“…Noct…?” the smaller male asked, his tone scared.

“…”

“Don’t hate me, please? I swear on my life I didn’t know he was gonna…” the blonde whimpered. “A-and it’s because of him that I even found you in the first place without getting caught, too…”

Before he could say anything else, though, Noct’s tail suddenly snapped out and propelled him forward, and then he was pinning Prompto to the bed with a startled yelp, before he abruptly started kissing him in a way that was almost possessive. A startled squeak escaped the blonde at the force with which Noctis was kissing him, but rather than fight it, he kissed back, trying to silently reassure Noctis that he was only the raven’s, and no one else’s.

Noctis growled from the back of his throat as he curled one hand in the blonde’s hair, as his tail coiled around the blonde’s firmly, all while he lapped and sucked at Prompto’s tongue. The smaller male slowly buried his fingers in the raven locks as he curled his tongue around Noctis’, shivering lightly.

However, that was before his body began to grow warm, almost unbearably so, with the heat curling around his waist and seeming to center on what should’ve been his crotch area as a human. Startled, Prompto broke away with a gasp, his eyes wide as he looked at Noctis, his face flushed.

“Prom…?” Noct murmured, frowning.

“Getting warm…” Prompto mumbled.

“Warm…? …ah, I see…” Noctis chuckled softly.

“Is this like the Mer version of being turned on or something?” the blonde frowned, pouting at the chuckle.

“Yes,” Noctis said cheekily, before he kissed Prompto to his nose. “Now you know how **_I_** felt that first day.”

Prompto sighed, before looking away. “I’m sorry…”

Before he could say anything else, Noctis suddenly moved over and began to run his teeth along the blonde’s throat, releasing a loud purr-like noise that vibrated through his skin. The blonde shuddered at the pleasurable feeling, moaning softly.

“You poor thing…” Noctis murmured softly as he nipped at Prompto’s ear. “Let me help you…” he purred, his hand slipping down along the boy’s sides.

“Ah…” Prompto groaned, his mind fogging from all of Noctis’ teasing.

And then his hand touched along the scales of his tail and he dragged the nails along them, creating a steady vibration wherever his fingers went. Prompto whimpered as the teasing touch, his hands gripping the prince’s shoulders tightly.

“Ssh…” Noct breathed, moving his fingers slowly but firmly, searching. “This’ll feel good…” he murmured, just as his forefinger pressed in between the scales along Prompto’s crotch area.

Prompto gasped, his eyes snapping open as he shuddered. Noctis continued to shush him as he gently kissed the shorter male’s cheeks, tightening his tail around Prompto, as his fingers gently peeled away the layer of scales. If Prompto’d had all his brain cells in order, he might’ve made the connection that it was like opening the flap of a pair of pants. As it was, however, that was the furthest thing from the smaller male’s mind, as he lay there shivering and moaning in anticipation, his eyes closing again.

Chuckling softly at the sounds the boy was making, Noctis slipped his fingers past the scales, searching only briefly before he gently pulled the newly-turned-Mer’s cock out from hiding. Immediately, the blonde gave a long, drawn-out moan as he tightened his grip on Noctis’ shoulders.

Smiling softly, Noctis moved over and kissed the blonde firmly, even as he started to move his hand along his flesh. Prompto kissed back hungrily, wanting more of his lover’s touch. And he got it, as Noctis adjusted his grip briefly, before picking up speed as he purred loudly into the blonde’s mouth. Prompto panted as he was touched, moaning and whimpering as his hands buried themselves in those raven locks.

And Noctis let him do so, adjusting his head to get a slightly better angle, while his hand shifted around his cock and he moved his palm along the head, moving teasing fingers along the tender skin.

“Fuck…” Prompto gasped as he pulled back slightly. “Not gonna… last long… Noct…!” He moaned out his lover’s name, his eyes squeezing shut.

“Then let it go…” Noct purred out, nipping at his lover’s throat again. “Let go… I love you…”

Prompto choked on a cry as he did as told, shuddering heavily.

Noctis smiled as he worked the blonde through it, before he stilled and, after tucking his lover away again, he asked: “So… how was that?”

“That… was amazing…” the smaller male breathed once he caught his breath. “I love you, Noct…”

Noct smiled lovingly, briefly kissing the breathless Mer, before he murmured: “I love you, too… _so_ much…” as he settled himself by the blonde’s side.

Prompto held Noctis close to himself, more than just happy since he was with the raven again. However, before he could start to doze off, he remembered something. “Hey, Noct?”

“…hm?”

“How do I link myself to the Mer? You never told me before…”

Noctis regarded the smaller blonde through lazy blue eyes for a moment, seeming to consider how to answer, before he smiled. “You just have to make sure you _can’t_ turn back…” he murmured, resting a hand along Prompto’s stomach. “Because if you did… you’d lose something precious to you…”

“Wait… so you mean I’ll have to lay eggs, too?” the blonde guessed.

“Close; you need to be holding the eggs inside of you, forming them, when your time is up. If you’ve already laid them, that won’t help.”

“Oh…” Prompto murmured, before he gave a determined smile. “Well… I’m more than willing to do that, if it means staying with you…”

“Good,” Noctis murmured, moving forward and kissing him gently.

The smaller male smiled softly into the kiss, giving a content noise. Then there was a knock at the door.

“Noctis? Prompto? You guys in there?” Iris’ voice called through the door.

Allowing a small smile, Noctis easily disentangled from the blonde and moved off the bed. “Yeah, we’re here. You can come in, Iris.”

Prompto pouted at the lack of contact, before Iris came in, closing the door behind her. Noticing the blonde’s pout, she giggled. “Did I interrupt?” she asked.

“Hmmm… maybe a little,” Noctis chuckled out softy.

The smaller male blew a raspberry at Noctis teasingly in response, making Iris laugh. Once she stopped, she asked: “So, what happened, Prompto?”

“Long story short, I traded my camera to a Weiz so I can stay with Noct, and I plan on staying forever,” the blonde answered, grinning.

“How, though?” she questioned, tilting her head curiously, but Prompto then gained a shy look, unable to word his answer the way he wanted to.

“Before we get to that, actually…” Noctis said, a small smile on his face. “I think there’s something you need to see first…”

Iris blinked, curious, as Prompto was quick to follow Noctis to the clam. And after waving Iris over as well, Noctis undid the clasp and opened the clam, turning it her way so she could see its contents. The brunette, being a Mer herself, immediately realized what she was looking at and gasped audibly, before she looked at them in surprise.

“Are they both of yours?” she asked softly, despite knowing the answer.

Noctis nodded silently as he wrapped his arm around Prompto’s shoulders.

“Eee! I’m so happy for you guys!!” she squealed, hugging them both tightly. Prompto laughed, despite knowing how they even came to be, but he pushed the negative feelings away, ignoring them.

The prince allowed a warm chuckle as he ruffled Iris’ hair. “Thank you, Iris. And I’m sorry for worrying you…”

“It’s okay, Noct,” she assured him. “You’re all here and safe, and that’s what matters.” Prompto nodded once, agreeing with the words. Iris then let them go from her hug, and then giggled. “Oh! Gladdy needs to see you as a Mer now, Prompto!”

“Oh, if his reaction is anything like Ignis’, then that’ll be hilarious,” the smaller male snickered.

This made Noctis laugh softly. “Oh yeah…” he agreed. “Let’s go. …ah, actually…” he mumbled with a frown, as he closed the clam and went over to his window.

“What’s up?” Prompto asked, tilting his head cutely.

Noctis didn’t respond to the question and, instead, opened the window before letting out a sharp whistle from the back of his throat. And barely a minute later, two Mer (clearly guards) swam up.

“I want you to watch the window and make sure no comes near. Understood?” Noctis ordered firmly.

And though the guards seemed a bit startled by the suddenness of the order, they didn’t question it and bowed. “As you wish, Your Majesty,” they said.

Prompto, somewhat surprised by the authority in Noctis’ voice, smirked when they left to find Gladio. As they went, he teased: “Glad you don’t need to use your ‘princely tone’ with me.”

Noctis looked at Prompto for a moment as they swam, before he smirked and said in human tongue: //Watch what you say… before you give me ideas.//

Prompto blushed at the words, and Iris frowned. “How come your face still turns red like that? Since you’re a Mer, that shouldn’t be possible,” she questioned.

“Uh…I’m not explaining why I’m blushing…” Prompto muttered, tossing a playful glare at the raven. //You are officially a pervert in my mind now,// he huffed at him.

“A wha…?” Noctis questioned, tilting his head in question, just before they reached the training rooms.

Prompto blinked, but then said quietly with a sneaky smirk: “You enjoy yourself with me in private a bit too much.”

“Gladdy! I brought Noctis!” Iris called out to her brother, purposely keeping Prompto out of it for now. She gave the blonde a sly grin and a wink to make sure he caught on, which he did.

Noctis snorted softly, but whether it was to Prompto’s explanation or Iris’ words wasn’t entirely clear as he followed after the mermaid into the room. He wasn’t surprised when he saw that Gladio had been busy trashing the training dummies. He’d probably been doing that since he figured out what had happened.

He was also expecting to get whacked upside the head for his earlier fiasco, but he was surprised when Gladio merely grunted, dismissed his sword and waited for Iris and him to approach. Normally Gladio would’ve been throwing a hissy fit (to put it bluntly), and now he didn’t make as much as a peep.

“Well, I hope you’re happy, Noct,” he said then. “You had everyone swimming around like a pack of headless eels.”

“I know… Sorry…” Noct mumbled. “Not gonna fix things… but I _am_ sorry…”

Gladio watched the prince for several long moments, before he sighed heavily and then, unceremoniously, dropped his heavy arm along the shorter’s shoulders, almost knocking him to the floor. “Whatever… just don’t go pulling those kinda stunts again. Got it?”

Noctis laughed a little at his old friend’s words. He knew the big lug had been just as worried as everyone else, but hell if he was gonna show that. And as fun as it would be to mess with him, Noct just wasn’t in the mood for that. Not right now, anyway.

“Yeah, yeah… won’t have to, anyway,” he said with a chuckle.

“Hm?”

“Oy! Prompto!”

“Hey Gladio!” Prompto very nearly shouted, as he popped out from behind Iris with a wide grin.

“The hell?!” Gladio nearly shouted, almost going for his sword again, when the other Mer’s laughter reached his ears and he snarled. “The devil did you get down here?!”

“Same way I got _up there_ , of course.”

Prompto snickered. “And I ain’t leavin’!”

At those words, Gladio frowned in question. “Wait what?”

“Yeah, you mentioned that before. How do you plan on staying?” Iris asked, looking at Prompto curiously.

“Well…I was told I have to link myself to the Mer,” Prompto shrugged. “Already know what I need to do, so I’m good to stay!” As he spoke, he smiled knowingly at Noctis.

Noctis snorted, but he returned the smile quietly, not bothering to elaborate on the subject.

“How does that make any sense?” Gladio snarled.

As it dawned on Iris, however, she suddenly giggled. “I get it. Well, this place is gonna get lively, then,” she smiled, and Prompto nodded.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’d do anything to be with Noct,” he said seriously. He then smirked. “And as much as Noct looks good with legs, I’d prefer him being happy here.”

“Hey, I don’t have much of a _choice_ , really…” Noctis mumbled, but there was a hint of… something in his voice that made Gladio and Iris frown sadly, even though Noct’s expression didn’t change.

“Noct…?” Prompto murmured, noticing the undertone as he got closer.

 Noctis shook his head. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry. …Anyway,” he said, changing the subject. “Shouldn’t dinner be ready soon?”

“Oh yeah… thought I saw Iggy heading for the kitchens earlier…” Gladio mumbled thoughtfully.

“Based off of what you’ve told me, I’m sure I’ll enjoy his cooking,” Prompto smiled.

Noctis smirked. “Only one way to find out, right? Let’s go.”

 

As the group of four came into what Noctis explained was the dining room, Prompto was a bit surprised at how small it was. At least compared to the royal dining halls he’d always seen on TV. There was barely enough room for 50 people… but that was already pushing its limits.

“…? What’s wrong?” Noctis asked, catching the look.

“Don’t laugh, but I thought that it would be a bit bigger…” Prompto muttered.

“…why would it be?”

“I just thought, like, for a large amount of guests, I guess…”

At those words, Gladio snorted. “Right… ‘guests’…”

“We don’t… get guests, anymore,” Noctis said solemnly. “That’s how few we are in number.”

“O-oh…I didn’t realize…” Prompto mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Noct said, shaking his head.

“Well, I see everyone’s here.”

“Hm? Oh, hey Ignis!” Prompto smiled in greeting.

Ignis hummed in greeting. “Yes, hello,” he said. “Take your seats. Dinner should be ready momentarily.”

Prompto followed Noctis to the raven’s spot, but then hesitated, unsure if he was allowed to sit next to him.

“What are you waiting for?” Noct asked with a chuckle. “Take a seat.”

Those words made the blonde relax with a relieved smile as he sat next to Noctis.

As Ignis swam off to finish preparations, Gladio turned to Noctis, arms crossed along the table, and asked: “Hey, Noct, you been holding up alright up there?”

Noctis hummed curiously, before he chuckled. “Yeah… you’d probably have fun up there. Would be good exercise.”

“Hm?”

Prompto stuck out his tongue playfully before chiming in. “Noct earned his land legs for a while there. ‘Sides, I took good care of him.”

That made Noctis laugh softly, but he didn’t expand on that.

“So, Noct, what was it like up there?” Iris asked, genuinely interested. Prompto looked at the raven expectantly, wanting to leave the answering to him.

Noctis chuckled softly. “Well… it definitely takes some time to get used to the fact that… well… you basically have to keep touching the floor or you’ll fall.”

“Really?” Iris said, her eyes wide with surprise. “That’s so different. What else?”

The prince hummed for a moment, thinking back on his time as a human. “…consuming water was pretty weird… probably the weirdest thing ever.”

Prompto chuckled, knowing it _had_ to be definitely different.

“Wait, you needed to _consume_ water? Why?” Iris frowned, definitely confused at the very idea.

“Humans need to drink water to keep themselves hydrated, or else we can get pretty sick,” Prompto explained.

“Weird…” Iris mumbled, wrinkling her nose a little.

“Yeah…” Chuckling, Noct added: “Also, not a smart idea to try inhaling water as a human.”

“Or else you choke,” Prompto chimed in.

“Geez! That’s crazy,” Iris said. “What else?”

“Hmmm… oh yeah.  You remember those yellow creatures, Iris?”

“Oh yeah!” she nodded, remembering when she had gotten to meet Prompto that day.

“Well, they can understand us.”

“Really? You never told me that one,” Prompto said, furrowing his brows in surprise. “You spoke to Lizzy that day in Mer?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“That’s actually pretty interesting,” the blonde murmured, before shrugging. “Well, I guess there was no way to know before.”

“Prompto’s right. That’s cool, though!” Iris smiled brightly.

“Yes, all nice and well,” Ignis said as he returned with several other servants, “but I would appreciate leaving the rest of the conversation for after dinner.”

“Yes, sir,” Noct chuckled softly.

Prompto watched as their dinner was served to them, and he blinked at the unfamiliar food. He honestly had no idea what it was supposed to be. It looked like seaweed, though its color was much lighter than it was above water, and it had pieces of pale white blobs in between. He had no idea what he was in for with this stuff.

“What’s wrong?” Noct asked as he watched Prompto’s expression cautiously.

“Don’t laugh at me, but…what exactly is this?” he questioned.

Noctis blinked in surprise, before he smiled as he realized that Prompto, of course, wouldn’t know any of the foods available to Mer, same as with Noctis not knowing human foods. “‘Chariot spaghetti’,” he said as he picked up the fork. “It’s kelp with crab meat. Try it; it’s good.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Prompto replied, picking up his own fork before taking a bite. Surprisingly, he _did_ like it, all things considered. “You were right; it _is_ good,” he smiled at the raven.

“Told you,” Noctis laughed, as he rolled the kelp around his fork and stuck the whole forkful in his mouth easily, sucking the small remainder into his mouth, too as he chewed.

“Hey, you weren’t used to human food, but I steered you right, didn’t I?” Prompto pointed out with a smirk as he took another bite of his own.

Noctis shrugged his shoulders, since he had a mouthful of kelp, still, before he swallowed. “And I’m returning the favor. Deal with it.”

“I wasn’t complaining in the first place,” the blonde retorted after swallowing his next mouthful.

The prince merely smiled as he turned back to his own food.

 

Finally, dinner was over and done with, and Prompto found himself back in Noctis’ room for the night even though it was very difficult to tell that night had fallen. He was glad to be alone with the raven again. He liked Noctis’ friends, sure, but he loved having the prince to himself.

Noctis, though, seemed a little preoccupied as he moved back to the clam where their eggs were at, flipping the large shell open again. And then he just staid there, watching the two black eggs in silence.

“You okay?” Prompto asked as he joined him, wrapping his arms around his lover’s waist from behind.

There was no immediate response, as Noctis continued to stare at the black eggs, before he nodded. “Yeah… just thinking…”

“About…?” The blonde rested his chin on Noctis’s shoulder.

“…we can’t keep them in here…” he said slowly, gently scooping one of the eggs into his hands. “They’ll never fit after three months…”

“Then where should we keep them where they’ll be safe?” Prompto inquired, watching the egg in the raven’s hands.

“…can you let me go?” When Prompto did just that, Noctis turned around and whispered: “Hold up your hands.”

The smaller male complied, his bright blue eyes reflecting his curiosity. Without a word said, Noctis gently let the egg roll into Prompto’s open hands. And Prompto tilted his hands forward ever so slightly so it didn’t fall out of his hold, gently wrapping his fingers around it, before looking up at Noctis curiously.

“It’s customary for the eggs to remain close to the parents,” Noctis explained, as he moved to scoop up the second egg. “They’re small, but they can already sense those around them… being around the parents allows them to identify them upon hatching.”

“I get it,” Prompto murmured, looking back down at the egg in his hands. After a bit, he asked softly in an embarrassed voice: “How many do think I’ll end up laying?”

“Hard to say…” Noctis admitted. “Most Mer lay between 3 and 7, since our numbers have dwindled as they have… Our bodies have been instinctively attempting to repopulate.”

“Not that I’m complaining, but how come you only laid two, then?” the blonde inquired, before hastily adding: “Believe me, I’m glad you even had them in the first place!”

“I’m not sure… Apparently it had something to do with me being human when my eggs were fertilized…” Noctis said, as he moved over to the bed, cocking his head to make Prompto follow. “Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, it does,” Prompto nodded as he complied with the wordless request.

As he settled on the bed, the egg still held securely in his hands, Noctis asked: “Is two eggs normal for humans?”

“Actually, human children grow and develop for nine months _inside_ their mother,” Prompto explained, joining Noctis on the bed. “And human women only give birth to one child at a time, two being less common, but it happens.”

“Just one at a time? But… there’s so many of you…”

“Let’s just say sometimes humans like having lots of kids,” Prompto chuckled. “And besides, there aren’t natural enemies to take out humans to keep the numbers low,”

“…You’re lucky, then,” Noctis said with a small chuckle.

“Yeah, but I’d rather be here, with you,” the blonde smiled softly. Looking at the egg in his hands, he added: “And I wanna make sure I can stick around to be with these ones.”

Noctis allowed a laugh. “Yeah… actually…” he murmured, gently setting the egg down on the bed gently. “I’ll be right back. I need to get something.”

And then he moved out of the room.

Prompto blinked, wondering what Noctis was getting, before gently curling his tail around the egg on the bed, a warm smile curving his lips as he gazed at the two eggs. As he sat there quietly, he became aware of something else; the eggs almost felt like they were lightly pulsing. And then it suddenly clicked that the blonde was feeling their heartbeats, and his gaze softened. It was almost surreal, the fact that he was going to be a dad to twins with Noctis as a Mer himself. Never in his wildest dreams would he have even thought this was even a concept.

“Prom?”

The smaller male perked up at the call, before looking to see Noctis had returned. “Hey,” he murmured. “What were you doing, anyway?”

Noctis smiled as he swam over, carrying what looked like a large pillow and blanket in his arms. “Had to get something from Father’s room.”

“Oh?”

“Move your tail.”

Once Prompto’d done so, Noctis scooped up the second egg and set down the pillow in the center of the bed, after which he set the egg on top of it.

Prompto watched, surprised, but then he smiled at Noctis.

“Place the other one next to it.”

The blonde nodded, before complying. On the heavy pillow, the eggs looked even smaller than they already were, and it made it… somewhat more real, as the two of them merely watched their own eggs in companionable silence, before Noctis gently secured the blanket he’d brought over the pillow.

After a few minutes, though, Prompto said quietly: “I’ll be honest, Noct… Everything feels kinda surreal right now… I never even imagined I would be a dad as a Mer with you, or even a Mer in general, but…” He then gazed at the raven with a loving shine to his eyes. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

The raven regarded him for a few moments, his expression not giving anything away, before he smiled and tugged Prompto in for a soft kiss. “I’m glad…” he murmured when he pulled away. “Very glad… that you’re here with me…”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Prompto murmured. He then chuckled. “I’m just glad Kuja stopped us before Levi found out we were there.”

“…? Kuja?” Noctis repeated.

“Oh, the Weiz that I made the deal with. I had Luna and Ravus take me out by boat to where Levi almost drowned me that time, but Kuja stopped us before we got too close,” the smaller male explained.

“…Wait, why was he on your boat?” Noctis questioned, confused. “Weiz make it a point to stay out of anyone’s way… humans especially.”

“I dunno why he chose to stop us, but I guess he wasn’t exactly impressed by your choice in me,” Prompto grumbled, pouting. “I’m not a bad person…”

That actually made the raven chuckle. “Yeah, I heard they can be very picky…”

“Apparently. But once he seemed to realize how dedicated I am to you, he seemed to change his mind.”

Noctis smiled, before he moved to secure the blanket he’d brought around the pillow and, effectively, the eggs. “In any case, we should get some rest.”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, feeling the events of the day finally catching up with him.

“C’mon…” Noct whispered, tugging Prompto to lay down on the mattress, maneuvering them both so that the pillow with the eggs was right between them.

Prompto hummed contently as he settled down, kissing the prince softly.

“…don’t freak out, kay?”

“Why would I freak out?” Prompto questioned, honestly confused.

Noctis didn’t answer immediately, and, instead, he pushed up on his arms and moved over to the headboard -- where he slammed his fist against the large shell that formed it. This caused the shell to groan, before it began to tip over. The smaller male gave a startled yip at the action and reaction it caused, looking at Noctis in slight alarm.

“Sssh,” Noct shushed him as he settled back down, as the shell came down and then, eventually, stopped, leaving them with more than enough space to move or push up on their arms. “Our beds are designed like this… to protect the parents and their eggs.”

“Geez, coulda warned me that was gonna happen…” the blonde pouted. “Well, if it’s to keep us all safe, then I shouldn’t complain.”

Noctis merely smiled as he reached out and linked his hand with Prompto’s. This gesture had Prompto smiling back as he lightly squeezed the raven’s hand.

“Good night, Prom…” the raven murmured. “I love you…”

“G’night, Noct. I love you, too,” Prompto whispered, closing his eyes.

Noctis watched him for a moment longer, smiling, before he shut his eyes as well, following the blonde into the realm of dreams.


	25. Speeding along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When swimming on your own isn't fast enough.

Morning in Insomnia was different in more ways than one. Back on land, even with the curtains drawn, there’d always be that _one_ annoying ray of light that came peeking through and hit him right on the eyes. Plus there were also the sounds of the city waking up outside. 

That was not the case here. There was no light that came down this far, and the few sounds that could be heard from outside were mostly muffled by the shell that covered them. 

Prompto woke up first, blinking his eyes open, initially confused before he remembered the events from the day before. He then looked beside him to see Noctis, still sleeping peacefully. A content smile curved his lips, and he leaned in, being mindful of their eggs’ pillow, kissing him softly on the lips. 

“Good morning, Noct,” he murmured. 

Noctis groaned sleepily, before he slowly opened one eye and looked up at the blonde. “…why so early?” he mumbled softly. 

“It’s not that early, is it?” Prompto chuckled, smiling at the raven. 

“Is for me,” Noctis complained, abruptly rolling over to bury his face in his pillow. 

“Noct… We should probably get up,” the smaller male pointed out. 

The prince merely grunted and refused to move aside from an agitated flick of his tail. This made the blonde laugh softly, moving closer and nuzzling the prince’s neck. The only response that got him was a sleepy groan and not much else. 

Then Prompto kissed the pale skin there softly, humming happily. Whether it was in response to the kiss or not, Noct’s tail lightly swayed along the bedcovers, as he breathed deeply, seemingly asleep again. This made the smaller male more determined to wake the raven. Pressing his lips to Noctis’ neck again, he began to suckle and tease at the skin, lapping at it occasionally. 

“Mmm…” Noctis hummed, his eyelids quivering, but he refused to wake, still. 

“Time to get up, Noct,” Prompto purred, nipping at the spot he had been kissing. 

And yet still, Noctis refused to stir, aside from his tail moving occasionally. Finally, Prompto moved his hands to the taller male’s sides, running his fingers along his ribs and sides teasingly. 

That touch did something; Noctis tensed briefly, a small gasp escaping him, but not much else. 

“It’s me, Noct… I love you~” the blonde whispered, his lips against the raven’s neck still. 

Noctis grunted sleepily, before he finally got both his eyes open and turned his head to face the blonde sea devil. “If you did, you’d let me sleep.” 

“Nope. Can’t do that, or I have a feeling Ignis will wake you up, anyway,” Prompto chuckled. 

“Iris, actually.” 

“Really? I would think Ignis would, considering how uptight he is,” Prompto snickered, before going back to teasing Noctis with nip to his shoulder. 

“Used to… but Iris took over few years back… and will you _stop_ already?!” he growled softly. 

“Why? You’re gonna fall back to sleep if I do.” 

“So?” 

“But then you’re gonna have to deal with Iris,” the smaller male pointed out, suckling lightly on Noctis’ shoulder. 

Noctis groaned in annoyance, but aside from that, he didn’t make a move to get up. 

“You’re so stubborn,” the blonde chuckled, but eventually ceased his teasing, simply cuddling up to his lover. “Have it your way~” 

“Took you long enough…” Noct grumbled softly. 

“Sorry, I can’t resist you, that’s all,” Prompto purred as he settled down. 

That made the prince snort, before he shut his eyes again, giving a heavy sigh. 

Prompto, catching the sigh, frowned slightly. “You okay?” 

“Fine… tired…” 

“You weren’t this tired back when we were human,” the smaller male pointed out. “What’s on your mind, Noct? I just want to help…” 

“Bite me…” Noct grumbled. “Haven’t slept in two days, a’ight?” 

And it wasn’t until Noctis said that that Prompto made the connection with Noct’s exhaustion now and the current situation, and it made his worried expression turn to one of genuine pain and guilt. “Sorry… I didn’t… I wasn’t thinking…” Prompto mumbled apologetically. There was no way the raven would have been _able_ to sleep while trapped in the dungeon like that. 

Before he could start to worry, Noct’s hand reached out and took hold of his. “It’s not your fault… it’s fine…” he mumbled lazily. 

“Still… If I’d known, I would have tried harder to get you out of there sooner,” the blonde sighed. “It’s my fault you got stuck there in the first fucking place…” The guilt of everything was starting to come back against his will and he couldn’t stop it. 

Noctis peeked out from under one eyelid as he heard the guilt clawing its way into the blonde’s words, before he sighed and dragged Prompto around to hug him close firmly. “Stop that.” 

“Can’t exactly help it when it’s true…” Prompto mumbled, accepting the hold. 

“Prom. Stop,” Noctis said again, pulling Prompto around so that he could kiss him firmly. 

The blonde kissed back slowly, as though he needed more reassurance from the raven that it wasn’t his fault. And Noctis was more than happy to comply to the wordless request, curling his hand in the blonde’s hair and the other resting along his spine, right where his tail began, letting the fingers play along the scales there. The kiss was soft and deep, and lasted for much longer than Prompto would’ve thought possible, but finally Noctis breaks away. 

“Stop beating yourself up over it,” he whispered. “It’s _over_ …” 

Prompto nodded slowly, gazing into Noctis’s eyes, and seeing how the raven didn’t want him to continue blaming himself anymore in that dark blue gaze. 

“Are we clear?” Noctis asked firmly. 

“Yeah,” the smaller male whispered. 

“Good,” the prince murmured, moving closer and resting his head along the blonde’s shoulder. 

“…How did I get so lucky to have you…?” Prompto said softly as he held himself close to the prince. 

“Don’t question it,” said prince murmured, curling his tail around Prompto’s. 

“Can’t help it. Had shit luck growing up, so I can’t be blamed for wondering,” the blonde chuckled softly as he curled his tail along with Noctis’s. 

“Hmhmm…” Noctis hummed softly. 

However, before he could go back to sleep, there was a knock on the door. 

“Morning, guys! Time to get up for breakfast!” Iris’ voice called through the door. 

“Oh for…” Noctis groaned in annoyance. 

“I tried to tell you,” Prompto snickered, unable to prevent himself from saying it. 

“Better get up, or I’ll make you, Noct!” Iris warned. 

Noctis threw Prompto a small glare, before he sighed and reached up, pushing the shell upward. “Alright! We’re up!” 

“That’s what I thought,” the brunette giggled. “I’ll see you guys in the dining room!” And with that, she left. Prompto sat up once the shell was upright again, stretching his arms over his head. 

Noctis groaned as he pushed against his neck, making the joints crack as he coiled his tail around, before he swam off the bed and did a quick somersault, making his back crack in numerous spots. “Nrgh…!” 

“Better?” Prompto asked with a smile as he got out of the bed, too. 

“Yeah,” Noctis mumbled. 

“Let’s go get some breakfast. May wake you up a bit,” the blonde chuckled, linking his fingers with the raven’s. 

“Maybe…” the prince murmured, and after shutting the shell again, to keep the eggs safe, he headed for the door. 

The smaller male followed closely, and as they made their way to the dining room, he wondered how he was going to explain who he was and how he ended up down here to everyone that had been asking. After all, more than one of those guys from yesterday had questioned it. 

“What’s wrong?” Noctis asked, clearly noticing his worries. 

“Just…wondering how I’m supposed to explain everything to everyone, I guess. After all, those guys from yesterday kept questioning who I am, though that Sora guy seemed to get it at one point,” Prompto shrugged. 

At that, Noctis chuckled. “Sora doesn’t really bother with people’s backgrounds _too_ much, actually… Leon, on the other hand…” 

“He’s the one who pointed his sword at me, right?” 

“Yeah, him.” 

“He’s a hard-ass, so I can see him wanting to know every detail,” the blonde snorted. 

The raven merely chuckled at those words. “Well, you may not see them too much… hopefully…” 

“Who _are_ those guys, anyway?” 

“The Kingsglaive. They’re… well, I suppose you can call them an ‘army’, of sorts… but they’re very few in number these days.” 

“Due to the low number of Mer, right?” 

“Yeah…” 

“Well, I’m sure the numbers will increase with time, especially since we’re together,” Prompto smirked, casting Noctis a sly look. 

“If the Wyf back off, finally, yeah…” Noctis murmured softly. 

“Then we’ll be careful, but I gotcha,” Prompto sighed. 

 

As the pair arrived at the dining room, they were somewhat surprised when they saw who was already there, speaking to Nyx. 

“Father,” Noctis said, sounding both surprised and confused. “Are you sure you should be up?” 

“I’ll be all right, Noct,” Regis assured his son with a small smile. 

Prompto placed a reassuring hand on his lover’s shoulder, smiling at him as well. Noctis hesitated for a moment more, before he nodded quietly and he swam to the table, even as his father quietly thanked and then dismissed Nyx. The Kingsglaive SiC bowed politely, before he left the room. 

Prompto joined Noctis, taking his seat beside the raven. “You okay?” he asked quietly. 

“Yeah,” Noct murmured softly with a nod. 

As the two settled, Regis smiled at his son’s obvious ease when around Prompto. He didn’t mention this to the pair, deciding it better to leave them to their own devices. 

“Did you sleep well, Prompto?” the King asked of the blonde then. 

“Yeah, surprisingly, considering how new this is for me,” the blonde answered politely. 

“That’s good to hear,” Regis murmured with a friendly smile, just as Ignis and a few servants came in with breakfast. 

Prompto watched as their breakfast was placed in front of them. He at least recognized the shrimp, and then realized the rest was pieces of anemone and a starfish…center? That was how he was able to describe it, anyway. 

Noctis didn’t seem the least bit surprised (obviously), as he picked up one of the shrimps and slipped it in his mouth, biting down on it silently. 

Somewhat surprised that Noctis didn’t need to peel it like back on land, Prompto mentally shrugged before copying the prince. As he bit down, the shrimp easily gave way under his teeth and was easily crushed to mush. And as he looked to Noct, he noticed that the prince was quietly popping the shrimps in his mouth, remaining silent as he ate, which wasn’t really anything new. 

“Hey, Noct?” the smaller male finally said after a few more bites of his breakfast. 

“Hm?” the prince hummed around a piece of anemone. 

“What are we gonna do today?” 

At that, Noctis blinked, tilting his head, before he hummed quietly, thinking, before he looked over to his father. Seeing the question in his son’s gaze, the King chuckled. 

“Given the current situation, there’s not much you can do… but perhaps you could assist Aranea at the pens.” 

“…Oh yeah… it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” 

“Huh?” the blonde uttered, confused. 

Noctis gave Prompto a mysterious smile. “You’ll see after breakfast.” 

“Man, I hate when you do that,” Prompto whined, pouting. 

Noctis merely laughed. 

 

“This way, Prom,” Noctis called out as he swam ahead, leading the way along the higher outskirts of Insomnia. 

“Coming!” the blonde called back, quickly catching up to the raven. 

As they swam, they passed by very few other Mer; most seemed to stick to the lower paths, despite being able to go wherever they wanted. This didn’t seem to surprise Noct one bit, even as he turned and then swam down toward what appeared to be a large building that seemed to go underground for most of the way. Prompto followed easily, looking around curiously as they got closer. 

As they reached the building, Noctis swam in through the doorway, and, immediately, Prompto was greeted by the sound of loud whinnies and neighing of the seahorses. 

“Never got to say it yesterday, but these guys are huge compared to what I saw in pictures,” Prompto remarked as they made their further in. “I thought seahorses were tiny.” 

Noctis laughed. “Well, these ARE giant seahorses,” he said with a smile. “So yeah, they’re bigger than normal.” 

“Makes sense,” the smaller male chuckled. 

Noctis smiled, before he looked around. “Okay, where is… ah, there she is.” As he said that, he swam further into the building. “Aranea!” 

Upon that call, a silver-haired mermaid looked over. “Well, there’s a face I haven’t seen in a while,” she said with a chuckle as Noctis and Prompto swam over. 

Prompto watched the exchange, wondering what he was going to be doing here. 

“So… who’s your new boytoy, princey?” the silver-haired woman asked with a smirk. 

“Very funny, Aranea,” Noctis mumbled. “This is Prompto. Prompto, this is Aranea. She works here.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Prompto smiled, bowing slightly. 

Aranea chuckled at the gesture. “Not from around here, are you?” 

“You could say that,” Noctis said with a smirk. 

“Should I even tell her?” the blonde asked the raven. 

Noctis shook his head, before he turned his attention back to Aranea. “Aranea, are the tracks free?” 

“Sure are. Not many people coming by today. Guessing you want to us them, hm?” 

“Tracks?” Prompto looked at Noctis curiously. 

“If you don’t mind,” Noctis said rather than respond to Prompto. 

“No problem, princey. Go have fun.” 

“Thanks,” the prince said, before he turned to Prom. “This way,” he said, as he swam further along. 

The smaller male followed after, still puzzled. 

And not long after, the pair reached what resembled the Chocobo pens on land. And then, Noctis moved to one pen and gave a small, whistling sound from the back of his throat. And a little later, there was a whinny, as a large, dark gray seahorse moved over. 

“Hey, Caela,” Noctis said with a chuckle as he reached for the seahorse, rubbing the side of the neck, as the seahorse gave a pleased noise and pressed its head against Noctis’ chest. Chuckling softly, Noctis turned to Prompto. “This is Caela,” he explained. “She’s… well, mine, I suppose you could say.” 

“Should I be jealous?” Prompto teased, laughing lightly. 

Noctis laughed. “Maybe a little,” he chuckled, before he waved the blonde over. “Come here.” 

The human-turned-Mer complied, joining Noctis to hover by his side. Caela looked up as Prompto got close, giving a small curious sound. 

“Go ahead,” Noctis said. “She doesn’t mind.” 

Calmly, Prompto reached out, gently petting her neck like Noctis had done. “Hi Caela,” he murmured with a small smile. Caela snorted a bit, before she leaned into the touch and made another pleased sound. 

“You like that, huh?” Prompto chuckled, increasing the pressure a little. 

Noctis laughed as Caela gave a small clicking nose from the back of her throat. “Yeah, she’s very touchy,” he said with a smile. After a moment more of Prompto petting Caela, he asked: “So… do you feel up to going a few laps around the tracks down here?” 

“As long as you don’t mind giving me lessons. It’s not like riding a Chocobo, after all,” the blonde pointed out. 

“Of course,” Noctis said with a chuckle, before he looked around. “Hm… let me see…” he murmured, briefly swimming around. “Ah. Prompto, here,” he called out. 

The smaller male was quick to join the prince with a flick of his tail. 

“Here,” Noctis said as he gestured to another seahorse, this one dark blue in color. “This is Caligo. He should be easy enough for you to start off on.” 

“Sounds good,” Prompto nodded, reaching out and petting Caligo. 

The seahorse snorted, and allowed Prompto to pet him, as Noctis moved to get both of the seahorses ready. 

“So, how do I start?” the blonde questioned as Noctis went. 

Once Noctis had finished with arranging everything, he pulled the reins over the head of Caligo, passing them to Prompto. “First we have to get them to the tracks.” Once Prompto took over the reins, Noctis went to get Caela. After petting her on the neck, Noctis swam along down the hall. “This way.” 

Prompto led Caligo after him, following Noctis and Caela with ease. 

After opening a small gate, Noctis led the way onto what appeared to be a gigantic underwater racetrack. “Alright,” Noct murmured as he moved Caela’s reins over her neck, patting her neck once before moving over to Prompto. “Okay, do you think you can get in the saddle on your own?” 

“Should be pretty easy, right?” Prompto guessed. 

“I would assume so.” 

With that said, Prompto flicked his tail, moving him enough so he was seated in the saddle. 

“Right, so link your tail here and… here,” Noctis instructed, adjusting Prompto so that his tail was secured around two handles to the side, which allowed the limb to stay in place. Once Noctis was sure he was in place, he moved over to Caela and got into his own saddle. As he sat there, though, he realized something, “Oh, right… you don’t know how to make that sound…” 

“What sound?” 

Rather than explain, Noctis opened his mouth and released a peculiar sound, like a whistling clicking, which immediately made Caela start to move (slowly). 

“Mind teaching me?” Prompto asked, looking at the raven eagerly. 

After stopping Caela’s movement, Noctis rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about how best to explain. “Never had to explain that before to anyone… nor did I have it explained, so bear with me,” he warned, before he began his explanation. “It’s… basically like pushing out air from your lungs to move along the filters in the back of your throat,” he said, gesturing from his chest to his throat. 

“Definitely different,” Prompto hummed, looking down thoughtfully. He then decided to try it. Inhaling slowly to calm himself, and hoping he would get it right first time, the blonde tried what Noctis had explained, and was pleasantly surprised when it worked, as Caligo began to move slowly. 

Smiling, Noct gave another whistling sound, and Caela once again began to move, keeping pace with Caligo. there was a hint of motion as the seahorses swam, but compared to Chocobos, it was very minimal and could be easily missed if you weren’t paying attention. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was still very different. 

“And here I was used to riding a running Chocobo,” Prompto laughed. “I still remember when we raced that day when you got used to them, y’know.” 

Noctis laughed a little at the memory. “In my defense, it’s kinda hard to fall off and hurt yourself on a seahorse. If you fall from a Chocobo… well, I think you know what happens.” 

“Fair enough,” Prompto chuckled, before sobering. “Kinda feel weird without my guns, to be honest. Those were my only weapons against the daemons back on land, and I don’t have them here.” 

Noctis allowed a small smile as he realized why Prompto brought it up. “Yeah, but we don’t have any of those here… not in the immediate vicinity of Insomnia, anyway. So don’t worry about it.” 

“Well, yeah, but how am I supposed to fight if anything happens around here?” the smaller male sighed. “I just don’t want to be seen as useless, I guess…” 

“We’ll think of something, I’m sure,” Noctis said as he made Caela move over so he could reach over and squeeze Prompto’s shoulder. 

“Hope so. I’m not exactly a sword guy, after all,” Prompto admitted. “Never fought with one or learned how to wield one.” 

“It’s never too late to learn,” Noctis pointed out, before he smirked. “So… think you’re ready to go a little faster?” 

“Sure,” the blonde smiled. 

Chuckling, Noctis released Prompto and moved Caela a little bit away -- and then he released a sharp pitched whistle and the seahorse neighed loudly, immediately snapping her tail out and propelling herself down the track. 

Prompto blinked, before he copied Noctis, and Caligo was quick to follow the pair. 

Caligo managed to catch up easily enough, and if it hadn’t been for the water moving along Prompto’s face or the rapidly moving scenery around them, he wouldn’t have known they were moving as quickly as they were. And Noctis was laughing as they went, taking the turns at angles that would’ve been impossible to take on land with a Chocobo. Prompto grinned at Noctis’s happiness, laughing with him joyfully. 

Just as they went around another bend, though, Prompto almost choked on his laughter as he realized that the track ended in what looked like a circular room with a number of pillars scattered around. But before he could try to stop Caligo from rushing into the wall, Noctis altered Caela’s course and then, with no hesitation whatsoever, rushed at the nearest pillar. and as soon as he came in range, Caela snagged onto the pillar with her tail and, essentially, spun herself up and around the pillar with a loud whinny. 

Prompto’s eyes widened in surprise, and his jaw dropped at the sight. He didn’t realize the seahorses could do something like that. However, no sooner had the thought finished processing or Caligo reached the pillar as well and coiled his own tail around the pillar. And then it was him and Prompto spinning around the pillar toward the top of the room. 

The blonde ducked closer to Caligo’s neck, making sure he wouldn’t slip off, and tried not to get dizzy. 

As they reached the top of the pillar, Noctis seemed to notice this. And as Prompto came into range, he reached out and took hold of Caligo’s reins, stopping both him and Caela. “Hey… you okay?” he asked worriedly. 

“Yeah, just a bit dizzy now,” the smaller male replied, shaking his head a little. 

Nodding, Noctis lightly tugged Caligo to the side. “Do you want to take a break?” 

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Wasn’t expecting that one, was all.” 

Nodding, Noctis released the reins again, allowing Prompto to lead when he was feeling better. 

Soon, Prompto’s dizziness cleared, and he smiled reassuringly at the raven. 

“Ready?” 

“Yep!” 

Smiling, Noctis gave another whistle, and then took off again. 

And Prompto copied him, before Caligo took off after them. 

 

It was several hours later when they finally stopped their ‘race’. and they spent several minutes after merely laughing and catching their breath while Caela and Caligo moved along at a much slower pace. 

“I never knew that riding like this could be so smooth,” Prompto commented as he looked at Noctis. “I was always used to riding the Chocobos, and never thought anything of it until now.” 

Noctis smiled as he moved off of Caela. “Not going to lie; it’s definitely different.” 

“Can’t argue there,” the blonde chuckled, getting off of Caligo as well 

“C’mon; let’s get them back to their pen and get them some food.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Noctis led the way toward the pens, and Caela whinnied happily as she followed after. And Prompto followed them, leading Caligo as he went. 

As they reached the corresponding pens, Noctis patted Caela’s neck, before he moved to collect two small containers that looked like barrels of some kind, “Here,” he said as he passed one to Prompto. 

The blonde took the barrel, asking, “What is it?” 

“Food,” the raven said as he swam over to Caela, popping open the container and holding it out to her. The seahorse whinnied happily as she came over and stuck her nose into the container, beginning to munch on whatever was inside. 

Shrugging, Prompto swam over to Caligo, and opened the container in his own hands before offering it to the seahorse. The seahorse snorted at the offer and moved over as well, beginning to munch from the container as well. The easy acceptance drew a chuckle from the smaller male, and he smiled at Noctis. 

Noctis allowed a chuckle as he reached out briefly to stroke Caela’s neck. And Prompto did the same with Caligo, a content smile curving his lips. 

 

After the seahorses had eaten their fill, Noctis set the container away and began to work on removing the riding gear. “Think you can handle taking care of Caligo’s?” 

“Think so. If it’s similar to a Chocobo’s, anyway,” Prompto replied, putting his container off to the side. 

“Alright, cool.” Nodding, Noctis undid the clasps of the saddle and moved to carry it to the room he’d gotten it from initially. 

The blonde then copied Noctis’s actions, unclasping the saddle from Caligo, and then hurried after the prince. After dealing with the reins as well, Noctis hummed in thought, wondering what they could do now. 

“Thinking about what we can do next?” the smaller male guessed, noticing the pondering look on Noctis’s face as he put up Caligo’s reins. 

“Yeah… like I said; little we can do with our current situation.” 

“True…” Prompto nodded, sighing softly. “Well, maybe we can head back to your room and just hang out?” 

“I guess we could do that…” Noctis murmured, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Hey, while we’re there, we can figure out how to just tell everyone who I am, and what happened in one go, that way I’m not explaining it multiple times,” the blonde offered. 

Noctis hummed softly, nodding, before he led the way out of the building, briefly nodding goodbye to Aranea as he went. Prompto waved to her as he followed Noctis out. He wondered how everyone would take the news, though. Especially that Leon guy. Hardass. 

 

As they returned to Noct’s room, the first thing the prince did was open up the shell and check up on their eggs. 

“They look okay?” the blonde questioned, looking over Noctis’s shoulder at them. 

“…Yeah,” Noctis murmured, moving his fingers along the eggs softly, before he covered them with the blanket again. 

“Eager for when they hatch?” Prompto asked, wrapping his arms around the ravens waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. 

“Hmm… maybe a little,” Noctis chuckled. 

“Awww, come on, don’t tell me you’re just a _little_ eager. You’ve got to be excited, right?” the smaller male teased. 

“Maybe~” 

“Party pooper,” Prompto laughed. 

Noctis merely allowed a chuckle as he moved over to lay down on the bed. 

The blonde followed after, joining him in bed. “…Hey, Noct?” 

“…mm?” 

“If I hadn’t become a Mer, would you have ever told me about the eggs?” Prompto asked softly. 

“…I was going to… after the fireworks…” Noctis admitted. “But then…” 

“You had to go back… Right…” the smaller male murmured. “But would you have told me after, if that crap hadn’t happened, and you got to visit me?” 

“…yeah, of course…” 

“…Good,” Prompto smiled. “After all, I would have liked to see them, if I’d stayed human. But now I’ll be able to see them throughout their lives, and watch them grow up.” 

Noctis smiled softly at the blonde, but the longer he laid there, the more his eyes began to slip shut. 

“Get some rest. I’ll be here the whole time,” the human-turned-Mer chuckled, moving closer so he could cuddle with the raven. 

“…yeah… kay…” Noctis murmured lazily, before his eyes fell shut entirely. 

Smiling softly at the sight, Prompto then reached up with his free hand, and mimicked the prince’s actions from the night before, slamming his fist against the shell so it would cover them. Once they were covered, the blonde curled up close to Noctis, wrapping his tail loosely around the raven’s. Noctis murmured lazily at the motion, his fin hitting the bed lightly in time with his even breathing. 

And Prompto merely closed his eyes, falling asleep alongside his lover.


	26. Game On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you do when you have a lot of time on your hands? You play games!

When Prompto woke again, he was alone. Or seemed to be, initially, anyway. Upon looking around, he realized that the shell was raised again, and Noctis was sitting in the back of the room at a desk that Prompto hadn’t noticed earlier. seemingly thinking.

“Noct…? Whatcha doing?” the blonde asked, moving off the bed and swimming over to the raven.

Upon the call, Noct almost jumped, before he calmed and looked up. “Ah… I’m just reading through some things…” he murmured, turning back to the scroll he had in front of him.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Prompto apologized as he joined him. “What’s this about?”

“They’re plans to deal with the Wyf situation… don’t worry about it,” Noctis said softly.

“How am I not supposed to? After all, they’re natural enemies of the Mer, right?”

Noctis looked over briefly, before he turned back to the scroll he’d been going through. “Yeah…” Noctis admitted. “But it’ll be fine…”

“Kay…” the smaller male murmured.

“…ah right,” Noctis said suddenly as he put the scroll aside for a moment and turned to look at Prompto properly. “I actually have to be at a meeting with my father and the council today. So I… I can’t actually spend too much time with you today.”

“Aww…” the blonde pouted. “What am I supposed to do while you’re at your meeting, then?”

“I actually asked Iris earlier… and she said she was thinking of gonna see Blitzball practice.”

“The hell is Blitzball?” Prompto asked, confused.

“Blitzball is Blitzball,” Noctis supplied unhelpfully with a shrug. “It’d take too long to explain… would be easier to just go and see it for yourself.”

“Well, I don’t exactly know where I’m going, ya know… Would Iris come and get me, then?” Prompto guessed.

“Yeah… she had some things to do first, but she should be dropping by soon.”

And no sooner had he said so, or there was a knock on the door.

“Hey guys!” the brunette’s voice chirped through the door. “Can I come in?”

“It’s open, Iris,” Noctis called out.

The door was then opened, and Iris swam in, a smile on her face. “Ready to go, Prompto?” she asked.

“Yeah, guess so,” the smaller male shrugged.

Noctis chuckled. “Well, you two have fun, kay?”

“I guess I’ll see you after that meeting, huh?” Prompto sighed. He didn’t want to be separated from Noctis at all, but understood why. Still didn’t make it easier, though.

“Yeah,” Noctis confirmed with a nod. “It shouldn’t take long… but you never know.”

“Fair point,” the smaller male agreed softly.

“Come on, Prompto, or else we’ll be late!” Iris giggled, grabbing the blonde by the wrist and dragging him off. “See ya, Noct!”

Noct laughed as he quietly waved the pair off.

 

Unlike Noct, Iris chose to swim closer along the ocean floor and the ‘streets’, greeting several other Mer as they went. Because of that, it took a little longer than it likely would’ve to reach the area they were heading to. It was a wide open area, and there were several mermen and mermaids swimming around and tossing what appeared to be balls with dulled spines at each other.

“What are they doing?” the blonde asked, tilting his head curiously.

Before Iris could respond, though…

“Iris!” a female voice called out, drawing the shorter Mer’s attention to another mermaid with short brown hair off to the side, who was waving at her with a smile.

“Hey Yuna! Come on over!” Iris grinned, turning to face the new mermaid. Prompto merely watched them curiously.

The mermaid—Yuna—smiled as she swam over. And as Prompto got a good look at her face, he realized she had two different colored eyes; one blue and one green. “You managed to get some time off of work at the Citadel, huh?”

“Yeah, well, Noctis has a meeting, so I’m bringing Prompto here along to keep him busy,” Iris giggled, before tugging Prompto forward to introduce him. “Yuna, this is Prompto. Prompto, this is Yuna.”

“Nice to meet you,” the blonde smiled.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Yuna said with a warm smile.

No sooner had she said that, though, Prompto suddenly got hit with one of the balls.

“Gah!” he yelped, and knew that he’d been on land when that happened… he’d have fallen on his face. “What the hell…?”

“Woops! Sorry, dude!” came a familiar voice, as a blonde Mer came swimming over. As he spotted Prompto, though, he blinked, before he allowed a small smirk. “Oh hey. Been a while, huh?”

Yuna blinked as she tilted her head. “You know him, Tidus?”

“Well… kinda.”

Prompto narrowed his eyes very slightly, remembering Tidus from yesterday. After all, the guy had not been the kindest to him. It was thanks to Roxas and Noctis that a fight hadn’t broken out, though.

“I was there during Noct’s rescue yesterday,” Prompto explained.

Yuna’s eyes widened a bit at Prompto’s words, but before she could say anything, Tidus quickly tugged her aside and whispered something in her ear. That seemed to help and she blinked and nodded briefly.

“Anyway… you two wanna join us for practice?” the blonde Mer asked. “We could use a few extra fins.”

“Never played before, to be honest, nor do I know the rules,” Prompto replied.

Tidus looked at him oddly, before he grinned. “No big deal! It’s not _that_ hard.”

“Just behave in showing him, Tidus,” Iris warned. “Otherwise you’ll be hearing from Noctis.”

“Esh, gimme some slack, Iris,” Tidus laughed, before he picked up the ball he’d thrown at Prompto and gestured for the shorter Mer to follow. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Prompto followed after, albeit a bit hesitantly, but he hoped he would take to it like he had when he was turned into a Mer in the first place: like a fish to water.

 

Once they were a little further ahead, Tidus turned and tossed the ball at Prompto with a well-aimed lob. “Lesson one; try getting some power behind a good toss.”

“Uh, okay?” Prompto said, quirking a brow as he caught the ball.

The human-turned-Mer then threw the ball back to Tidus, managing to put some power behind it, despite being underwater.

Tidus caught the ball easily, allowing another grin. “Hey, not bad! Okay; so try this.”

And then he released the ball and suddenly spun backwards, snapping his tail out at the ball and sending it zipping back at Prompto. And on pure instinct alone, Prompto whipped around, smacking the ball back with his tail. The only downside of that was that he angled it wrong and the ball flew over Tidus and upward.

“Whoa…!” Tidus yelped, blinking, before he abruptly snapped his tail out and rushed after it with the same speeds with which he’d rushed out from the Weiz’s castle, snagging the ball before it could be lost. “Might need to work on your aim a bit,” Tidus laughed as he swam down again.

“At least I managed to hit it, though,” Prompto pointed out. “That was quick, and I reacted on pure instinct.”

“Well, matches tend to be pretty quick,” Tidus pointed out, as he spun around and threw the ball back toward Prompto.

“Fair enough.” Prompto caught the ball again, and then nearly hurled it at Tidus, a bit more strength to it than before.

Tidus laughed as he caught it again. “Okay. How ‘bout we try throwing AND moving, huh?”

“Kay. Just show me, I guess,” the smaller male shrugged.

“Try to keep up,” Tidus laughed, before he beat his tail, sending him backwards along the tracks.

“Ah…!” Prompto gasped, before darting after him

“Catch!” Tidus shouted as he turned and tossed the ball at Prompto, not stopping his momentum at all.

And the shorter blonde managed to do just that, before throwing it back as he pursued Tidus. As the taller Mer swam and maneuvered around the others, he tossed the ball back around a different Mer.

As Prompto caught the ball again, however, a somewhat familiar pair of faces to Prompto appeared.

“Hey guys!” Sora chirped, stopping them. The suddenness of his appearance startled Prompto, and he stopped in his tracks, nearly dropping the ball.

“Sora, you can’t scare people like that,” Roxas chided as he joined him.

“It wasn’t on purpose, Rox!” the brunette pouted.

“Sora and…Roxas, right?” Prompto asked, remembering them.

“Yeah, I never got your name yesterday, though,” Roxas pointed out.

“Name’s Prompto,” the human-turned-Mer smiled in greeting.

“Oh hey,” Tidus said as he came over. “Decided to join us in training, huh?”

“Yeah, we were watching,” Roxas nodded. “And then Sora decided to interrupt, of course…”

“Hey!”

Prompto laughed at their exchange. “You guys are brothers, huh? Because you certainly argue like you are.”

“Yup!” Sora grinned. “Actually, I was gonna suggest you guys that we compete!”

“Sora, seriously?” Roxas sighed.

“What? Nothing wrong with friendly competition,” the brunette shrugged, folding his hands behind his head.

Tidus laughed. “Don’t see why not. You up for that, Prom?”

“Um, sure, I guess. Still not that great at this,” Prompto replied uncertainly.

“Aww, you’ll be fine!” Sora grinned.

“Sora’s right. You’re pretty good so far, from what I’ve seen,” Roxas agreed. “Have you played before?”

“No, this is a first,” Prompto said.

“Well, then you catch on pretty quick,” the shorter blonde smiled. “You’ll be fine. Just let Tidus kind of show you the ropes, and you’ll be great.”

“Alright then; let’s move to the next field to get some space, shall we?” Tidus said as he gestured off to the side.

“Sounds good!” Sora grinned, and Prompto followed after them, trailing after Roxas.

“So, we never got to hear your story yesterday,” the smaller blonde said as they went. “How do you know His Majesty?”

“Eh… it’s a long story, to be completely honest,” Prompto admitted, rubbing his neck a bit.

“Rox, it’s fine, I told you!” his brother laughed. “Why can’t you just go with it?”

“Can’t blame me for being curious,” Roxas huffed. “After all, we never saw Prompto until yesterday. And he’s so at ease with His Majesty.”

“Eh… I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Tidus pointed out. “As long as His Highness is fine with it, who are we to question it?”

“Fine…” Roxas groaned, but he smiled nonetheless.

“I’ll be able to explain at some point, I swear, but I don’t wanna have to do it multiple times, y’know?” Prompto chuckled.

“Yeah, we understand,” Sora nodded, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Like how you had to explain multiple times why you and Riku have been late to meetings?” his brother teased.

“ _Rooooox!!_ ” Sora whined.

“Riku?” Prompto repeated, confused.

“He’s one of the Kingsglaive, and my boyfriend,” Sora explained. “He unlocked His Majesty’s cuffs yesterday.”

“Oh yeah, how’d he do that, by the way? I’ve never seen a weapon like that,” Prompto questioned.

“Well, Sora, Riku, and I each use a weapon called a Keyblade, only I wield two, but they can unlock any lock,” Roxas told him.

“That’s awesome,” Prompto commented, his eyes wide with surprise.

Tidus laughed at the awe on Prompto’s face. “Yeah, we all got something we’re best at. Which is why we’re all in the Kingsglaive.”

“Yeah, and Tidus is the fastest swimmer of us all,” Sora added.

“I kinda noticed,” Prompto chuckled, remembering the taller blonde’s speed he’d witnessed so far. “What’s Leon’s specialty?”

“Leon’s our infiltration specialist,” Tidus explained. “He’s usually the one coming up with good routes if we ever need to get in anywhere.”

“Ah,” Prompto said. “Who else is there? I never really got everyone’s names yesterday.”

“Well, there’s Cloud,” Roxas started.

“And Cecil and Nyx,” Sora added.

“And of course, Axel,” his brother finished.

“Well, that’s everyone of our Unit anyway,” Tidus said with a chuckle. “There are others… but eh. We don’t mingle with them too much.”

“True,” Sora nodded.

“What are their specialties?” Prompto inquired, genuinely curious.

“Axel is the long-ranged fighter of our Unit, since he uses chakrams instead of a sword, and he can throw them,” Roxas answered.

“And he’s your boyfriend,” Sora chimed in smugly.

“Sora, shut up. Riku’s yours, so don’t act smug,” his brother retorted, rolling his eyes.

Tidus laughed at the bickering, but he didn’t say anything else about that. “Cloud’s the powerhouse of the bunch, and Cecil’s our unit commander,” he explained with a small grin.

“And what about Nyx?” Prompto said.

“Hey, Riku and I got you two together in the first place, so don’t complain!” Sora laughed, as Roxas swatted him over the head, drawing a yelp from his brother.

The argument made Tidus chuckle before he turned to Prompto. “Nyx is the Kingsglaive second-in-command; he’s been in charge of our training mostly…” Just then, though, his expression darkened. “Though if the rumors are true… Nyx might be going up in rank, soon…”

“Why’s that?”

“…The rumors are that Captain Drautos betrayed Insomnia.”

Immediately, Roxas and Sora stopped their arguing, and stopped swimming to look at Tidus.

“We don’t know why he did, if the rumors are true, though,” Roxas mumbled.

“Wait, I thought Drautos was supposed to escort Noct home?” Prompto frowned, confused. “You mean he was the one who got Noct caught by the Wyf?”

“…what did you just say?” Tidus asked, a dark frown on his face.

“Um…” Prompto mumbled, realizing he’d slipped up. “Okay, I’ll spill, just don’t be mad that I kept it from you, okay?”

At this, both Sora and Roxas frowned, almost suspicious.

“Can I at least tell you guys where we won’t be eavesdropped on?” Prompto pleaded.

The three Mer looked at each other for a moment, silently communicating about what to do, before they nodded and Tidus led Prompto off to the side, away from the actual fields.

Once they were alone, Prompto sighed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Where to start…?” he wondered to himself. “Well, I’ll start with who I am. My name is Prompto Argentum, and I was human when I met Noct.”

 “You wha…!?” Tidus got out, staring at the blonde in surprise.

“But how are you…?” Roxas frowned.

“I’ll get to that, I promise,” Prompto interrupted, before he took a deep breath to prepare himself.

 As he talked, explaining to the three Mer about how he first met Noct and them rescuing each other, before their almost nightly meetings began. He tried to gloss over everything so he could finish it quickly, but for some reason the words just kept coming and he couldn’t make them stop, as he talked about Ravus suddenly coming back with Noct after he’d been given his legs, and how they’d actually gotten together during those short two weeks. He did skip out the portion about the fact that he had (essentially) raped the prince, because that was _not_ something you want to tell the ones who are sworn to protect the future king.

Finally, though, he finished his explanation with Kuja turning him into a Mer in return, and he sighed in relief with getting that off his chest. “And from there…you guys know the rest, I guess.”

Tidus regarded the blonde for a moment, before he turned to his two allies with a quirked eyebrow.

“I believe him, as weird as it sounds,” Sora shrugged.

“You believe just about anyone, Sor,” Roxas pointed out. “But I agree. As impossible as it all sounds, I can’t _not_ believe it, especially when I’ve seen His Majesty and you so close and at ease with each other.”

“I do have a question, though,” Sora said. “If you and His Majesty are together, are you the father of his eggs?”

“Sora! You don’t ask something like that!” Roxas groaned.

“I won’t lie, I am,” Prompto confessed, smiling slightly.

“Talk about invasion of privacy…” Tidus chuckled softly, before he frowned in slight worry. “Though… there is one other thing I’m curious about…” he murmured. “You said Captain Drautos was going to escort him home, right? Didn’t His Highness seem… worried that it was him rather than either Scientia or Amicitia?”

“No, he didn’t, actually,” Prompto replied. “That’s why I was shocked when I found out, and worried out of my mind.”

“Hmm…” Tidus hummed, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Definitely concerning, and I think it confirms the rumors,” Roxas commented.

“So…you guys aren’t suspicious of me or anything?” Prompto asked uncertainly.

Tidus regarded him for a moment, before he shrugged with a smirk. “Nah. His Highness seems to be fine with you… and I’d hate to get on his bad side.”

“You’re good with us!” Sora chirped in agreement, as Roxas smiled and nodded. Prompto sighed in relief, smiling at them.

“I told you it was a long story, though,” he chuckled.

“Anyway!” Tidus suddenly exclaimed, his earlier grin returning. “Are we still on for that competition?”

“Sure,” Prompto laughed, and followed them off to the field they had been heading to before.

 

Once they were on the field, they quickly decided it would be Tidus and Prompto versus Sora and Roxas, and after a very brief explanation of the rules, the match was on.

“All right, Tidus, hit it off! You start the game best!” Sora called.

Tidus smirked briefly, briefly wriggling his fin, before he abruptly backflipped and snapped the ball up with a powerful flick of his tail. And immediately, Roxas and Prompto shot up for the ball in an attempt to grab it for their team.

Prompto snagged the ball first, darting for the goal, but before he could reach it, Sora blocked him, and he quickly threw the ball to Tidus. Tidus easily caught the ball mid-dash, rushing around Roxas as he tried to block him, his speed allowing him to do so easily. However, as Sora rushed him from the other side, Tidus spun around and threw the ball back to Prompto.

Prompto caught the ball with ease, and then swiftly swam to the goal before scoring.

“Nice!” Tidus laughed as Roxas moved to collect the ball.

“Dammit!” Sora complained, but he was grinning nonetheless.

“I try,” Prompto chuckled.

As Tidus and Prompto moved a little bit away from the goal, Roxas tossed the ball to Sora, and then they were rushing for the other side of the field.

Prompto was quick to intercept, however, and managed to get the ball in mid-toss between the brothers, darting back to the other goal.

Tidus laughed as he followed after, catching the ball as it was tossed his way -- before he tossed it upward. But he didn’t give anyone the time to do anything about it as he shot up and spiraled around before he backflipped and stuck the ball with his tail with more force than he had previously. The high speed didn’t even let Roxas or Sora reach it before it flew through the goal.

“Oh come on! Tidus, no fair!” Sora whined. “You’re the only one who can pull that one off!”

“All’s fair in love and war,” Prompto laughed.

 

It was almost 2 hours later before they finally decided to call it quits. And, no surprise, Tidus and Prompto crushed the two brothers.

“You’re a freaking natural at this, Prompto!” Sora crowed as they swam along.

“Tidus is the pro, though. I just helped,” the human-turned-Mer shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Dude, it’s a TEAM sport,” Tidus laughed. “If one person’s sucky, the whole team suffers.”

“Tidus is right,” Roxas chuckled. “Like Sora said, you’re a natural. You sure there’s nothing like this where you’re from?”

“No, definitely not,” Prompto chuckled.

“They don’t know what they’re missing up there,” Tidus laughed out as they approached the two mermaids, who had spent the time talking and watching everyone else practice.

“Hey,” Yuna said as they approached. “You guys look like you had fun.”

“It helps that Prompto’s awesome at Blitzball,” Roxas chuckled, and Prompto ducked his head shyly, not used to the praise.

“Well, I’ll bet Noctis is done with his meeting by now,” Iris smiled, giggling when she noticed Prompto perk up at the words. “Want to head back and see, Prompto?”

“Sure,” he nodded. “Thanks for teaching me, Tidus. No hard feelings about yesterday, right?”

“Hm?” Blinking, Tidus seemed to wonder what he meant, before realization hit him. “Oh ‘bout THAT. Don’t worry; we’re cool,” he said with a grin.

“Sweet,” the shorter blonde smiled. “See you, guys.”

“See you soon!” Sora chirped, and Roxas ruffled his brother’s hair teasingly, drawing an indignant squawk from the brunette. Prompto merely laughed, before he followed Iris back to Noctis’s room.

 

As they arrived at the Citadel, the pair split up, since Iris still had work to do, and as Prompto entered the prince’s room, it took him only a moment to spot Noctis, as he was sitting on the bed, his tail propped up to support some sort of clipboard that he was writing on.

“Hey Noct,” he called, gaining the raven’s attention.

“Hm?” Noctis hummed as he looked up. “…Oh, hey,” he greeted solemnly.

“You okay?” the blonde asked, concerned.

“Yeah,” Noct murmured as he went back to the clipboard, working quietly.

“Whatcha doing?”

“Just some reports I need to go over…”

Prompto swam over, sitting by Noctis on the bed, and once he settled, he wondered how to tell Noctis that he’d told Tidus, Sora, and Roxas about himself. Noctis didn’t appear to notice the blonde’s worry, as he lightly tapped his ‘pen’ against his bottom lip, fin flicking along the bedcovers a bit absently.

Finally, Prompto couldn’t help it. “I told Tidus, Sora and Roxas.”

“…huh?” Noctis blinked as he looked over.

“I told them about me,” the smaller male murmured. “They were talking about these rumors that Drautos betrayed Insomnia, and I slipped up, saying that I thought he was supposed to escort you home, and I wasn’t supposed to know that… So I had to tell them so they wouldn’t be suspicious of me.” He paused, before adding hastily, “But they took it pretty well!”

“…” Noctis watched him for a moment, before he snorted and chuckled. “That doesn’t surprise me… they’re pretty easy-going.”

“You’re not mad? I thought you wanted to wait,” Prompto frowned.

“Would’ve been better… but at least you told the ones who aren’t going to spread it to other people.”

“They won’t even tell Leon?” the blonde blinked, surprised.

“I doubt it…”

“Oh… I just can’t help but feel like he won’t trust me when he _does_ find out,” Prompto grumbled.

“That’s very likely, yeah,” Noctis chuckled.

“Maaaaan…” the smaller male groaned.

Noctis allowed a smile as he reached up and ruffled Prompto’s hair.

Prompto yelped in response, swatting the raven’s hand away. When the offending hand retreated, though, he said, “Tidus actually taught me how to play Blitzball today.”

“Yeah?” Noct murmured as he leaned back, setting the clipboard aside. “How’d you do?”

“Surprisingly, during a small match with Sora and Roxas, Tidus and I crushed them,” Prompto laughed. “Sora and Roxas said I’m a natural, but I’m not so sure.”

This made the prince laugh. “Well they’ve been playing longer than you have, so if you managed to beat them, maybe you are.”

“I still think Tidus did most of the work.”

“Well he’s also the captain and ace of the Zanarkand Abes, so not surprising.”

“I take it that’s one of the teams?” the blonde guessed.

“Yeah. One that originally came from Zanarkand – another Corale further to the south. Unfortunately their Corale was destroyed a long time ago.”

“That’s horrible…” Prompto murmured sadly.

Noctis shrugged softly. “There used to be a lot of different Corales… but now Insomnia’s the only Corale of Mer left.”

“Shit, I had no idea…”

Noctis merely sighed as he leaned back against the headboard. “Not many humans would…”

“Well, considering humans barely know anything about Mer, it makes sense, but still…”

The prince nodded his head, before he scooted down a bit so he could lay down on the bed properly.

“Still tired, huh?” the blonde guessed, smiling softly.

“A little…”

“Then let’s get some rest,” Prompto smiled.

“Hmhmm…” Noctis hummed, shutting his eyes quietly. “…just for a bit…”

Prompto gave a soft laugh, before cuddling up against Noctis with a pleased smile, closing his eyes falling asleep soon after.


	27. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planning for the future is important.

When Prompto woke again, it was to a heavy weight laying on top of him. And when his consciousness returned fully, he realized why; somewhere during their nap, Noctis had moved over and, essentially, had Prompto pinned to the bed. His head was resting on Prompto’s chest, with his hands placed along his shoulders and his tail coiled around Prompto’s.

The blonde smiled softly at the sight, coiling his tail around the raven’s as well, and wrapping his arms around Noctis’s waist. In response, the prince hummed softly and snuggled his face closer against him.

‘ _Almost reminds me of a cat,_ ’ Prompto thought in amusement, before reaching up with one hand and lightly running his fingers through the ebony locks.

“…mmm…”

“Feels good?” the smaller male chuckled softly.

Noctis didn’t respond with actual words; he just settled a little better. And Prompto merely smiled in response, continuing to basically pet his lover’s hair. Noctis eventually hummed softly, eyelids quivering, before he blinked his eyes open… revealing them to be glowing a light violet.

This caused Prompto’s eyes to widen as he remembered his dream back before he and Noctis had had sex, and he stuttered out: “N-Noct… Your eyes…”

The prince cocked his head curiously, before he curled his hands properly around Prompto’s shoulders and pushed up a little bit. “…what about them?” he asked finally.

“They’re violet,” the smaller male said.

“…are they?” Noctis murmured, though he didn’t sound _too_ surprised.

“Why does that happen? I remember it happening back when you were human, too…”

Noctis hummed as he thought on an answer for that, before he shrugged his shoulders and suddenly pressed closer until their foreheads were touching. “Does it matter?” he asked softly, before abruptly kissing him. Prompto merely kissed back lovingly, a content purr escaping him.

With a soft purr slipping from his own mouth, Noctis finally moved back, right before he moved to Prompto’s throat, beginning to nibble along the skin there.

“Ahh… Besides…” the blonde moaned softly, “it’s pretty hot…”

“That so…” Noctis murmured in amusement, as he coiled his arms around Prompto’s waist.

Prompto smiled contently, holding Noctis close to him. “Yeah.”

Noctis chuckled softly, as he moved his hand around to Prompto’s front – at which point a jolt of energy shot through the blonde from the point of contact.

The blonde’s breath hitched, and he whimpered with need as he felt the stimulation warming him. Noctis chuckled softly, the sound vibrating along Prompto’s throat, as he let his fingers skitter along his skin. And every little touch felt electric, as if the taller Mer was part electric eel.

And all Prompto could do was whimper as his grip on Noctis’s shoulders tightened, wondering just how the raven was doing this. If the prince was aware of those questions, then he didn’t show it, and he was definitely not inclined to answer them. He merely continued to move his fingers slowly, teasingly, across the blonde’s bared skin… and then he pressed his fingers down onto his nipples.

This caused the smaller male to jolt and moan, his eyes snapping wide open.

“Hm?” Noctis hummed softly, a sneaky smirk on his face. “Something wrong?”

The blonde whimpered as he pouted up at the prince. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but it feels a bit too good,” he mumbled.

“That so?” the raven murmured, his smirk seeming to grow, as he flicked at the hardened nubs again. This time, Prompto shuddered heavily, squeezing his eyes shut tight from the pleasure.

With a soft chuckle, Noctis moved in and firmly kissed the blonde, while at the same time pinching his nipples and at the same time pressing the rest of his fingers along his skin. The blonde kissed back, still shivering as he moaned into Noctis’s mouth. And the moment the moan ended, he felt Noct’s lips curl up – right before a jolt rushed out from his fingertips and into Prompto’s skin.

“AH!” Prompto gasped, pulling away to throw his head back against the pillow from the shock of pleasure.

“Good?” Noctis asked with a small chuckle.

“Y-yeah.” Prompto could barely piece his head together at the moment, thanks to Noctis’s torturous touches.

Chuckling, still, Noctis moved his mouth to Prompto’s ear as he moved one hand down, moving it along the blonde’s tail. “It’s about to get better…”

And then another jolt shot through him.

Immediately, Prompto gasped and shuddered heavily into the mattress, a loud moan escaping him as his fingers sought purchase to grasp something, anything. This time, Noctis actually laughed softly, as his fingers slipped slowly along the scales, releasing several smaller jolts before he gently pushed the scales aside. Prompto gave a needy whine, looking at Noctis pleadingly. He felt hot all over now, and just needed release.

“Sssh… it’s okay…” Noctis purred softly, coiling his tail around Prompto’s as he slipped his fingers past the scales… but instead of reaching for the blonde’s cock like last time, he slipped them further down.

“ _Fuuuuck…_ ” the smaller male whimpered, shivering lightly.

Smirking, Noctis slipped his fingers further in, before he let loose one last burst of energy.

And with that, Prompto came undone, a choked cry tearing from his throat as his body clenched up beneath his lover.

Smiling, Noctis slowly pulled his fingers back, his eyes losing their violet glow as he settled next to Prompto. “So… how was that?”

“Amazing,” the blonde whispered. “How did you do that, anyway?”

Noctis chuckled softly. “Weiz aren’t the only ones who know magic,” he murmured.

“Apparently,” Prompto snorted quietly before cuddling closer. “Love you, Noct.”

“Love you, too…” Noctis murmured, wrapping his arms around Prompto’s shoulders. The blonde gave a content hum before settling in the raven’s hold, soon drifting back to sleep.

Smiling, Noctis reached over and gently ran his fingers through Prompto’s hair, shutting his eyes to do the same… until there was a familiar knock on the door.

“…mm?” Frowning, he sat up slowly, making sure to not wake Prompto. “It’s open, Ignis,” he called, and the sandy blonde silently swam inside. “What happened?”

“His Highness has called for an emergency meeting. He wants you to be there.”

Noctis’ frown darkened in worry. “…Right.” Before Ignis could leave though… “Iggy?”

“Yes?”

“Could you stay with Prompto? Just in case…”

“…Very well.”

“Thank you.” After gently disentangling from Prompto, he moved away and headed out. “I’ll be back soon. Thanks, Ignis… I owe you one.”

“Just go.”

Noctis nodded, and then headed out.

 

“Mm…” Prompto groaned as he woke up, but as he did, he realized Noctis wasn’t with him. Sitting up with a frown, he called: “Noct?”

“Good morning,” a familiar voice suddenly said, drawing the blonde’s attention.

“Huh?” the blonde uttered, before noticing Ignis was there in the room with him. “Oh, uh, hey Ignis,” he said, and then asked: “Where’s Noct?”

“He was summoned to an emergency meeting,” Ignis said calmly. “It may take a while longer.”

“Oh… Is something wrong?”

“Hard to say…” Ignis admitted.

“Do you at least know what’s going on?” Prompto asked hesitantly. “Just…worried, I guess…”

“I believe it was about the Wyf. That is all I know, I fear.”

“Damn… I hope they don’t try anything…” the smaller male sighed.

Ignis merely hummed a little in response. Rather than continue the subject, though, he asked: “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, sure,” Prompto murmured. “What about Noct, though?”

“I’m afraid he’ll have to wait; I cannot enter the meeting this late lest I disturb them,” Ignis pointed out.

“Fair point,” the blonde chuckled. “All right.”

As Prompto rose from the bed, Ignis moved to the door ahead of him.

“Ah, right,” Prompto murmured as an afterthought, before closing the shell to the bed. He then joined the sandy blonde, nodding to him. “I don’t want anything to happen to them.”

Ignis hummed softly. “I sincerely doubt something will… but I suppose it pays to be careful.”

“Yeah, it does. ‘Sides, Noct’d wouldn’t be happy if I left it open, anyway.”

To that, Ignis didn’t respond with words; he merely nodded as he led the blonde down to the lower floors again. And Prompto followed closely, not wanting to get lost. Granted, he was starting to sort of memorize some of the paths, but he wasn’t ready to go on his own yet.

 

Before long, they arrived at the dining hall, which was virtually abandoned by now. “Take a seat and I’ll fix something up.”

“Thanks, Ignis,” the smaller male said, before suddenly asking: “I take it everyone’s at that meeting, huh?”

“Mostly His Highness and Noct with the council,” Ignis said with a small shrug. “The other servants try to keep themselves busy in the meantime.”

“Right…” Prompto murmured. It felt strange to be alone with Ignis like this, as he wasn’t quite used to it. Then again, since he was going to live here, he would have to get used to it. However… “Hey, Ignis?”

“Hm?”

“I know this is random, but, what did you and Gladio think of me when you guys first met me?”

“…” Ignis didn’t reply immediately, before he sighed. “I cannot speak for Gladio, though I believe I can make a proper assumption, I must admit I was… surprised with Noct’s decision to make a friend with, of all things, a human.”

“Did he tell you how we even met in the first place?”

“I heard him speak of it to Lady Leviathan, yes,” Ignis said firmly. “However, that does not change the eons of disconnect between the two worlds.”

“True… I’m just glad things have turned out the way they have. I’ve never been one to turn down someone who needs help, no matter who or what they are,” Prompto admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Even though that can be a fault sometimes, it was the right thing then.”

“Yes, and we’re all grateful… otherwise our nation likely would have crumbled with Noct’s death…”

“Oh, speaking of Noct… How come he’s an only child? He told me Mer can lay between 3 and 7 eggs, but he doesn’t have any siblings… Why is that?”

At those words, Ignis paused in what he was doing. “…There was… an incident,” he finally admitted. “That is all I’m permitted to say. It would be best if you heard directly from Noct.”

“Right, sorry… Didn’t mean to pressure you or nothing…”

Ignis merely hummed as he finally finished and moved back over to Prompto. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” the smaller male smiled slightly, before beginning to eat. He wasn’t going to question the taller male’s cooking, and maybe it’d be better if he didn’t know what half the stuff was anyway. He had a feeling most of it was stuff he wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole back on land.

Ignis didn’t say anything else in response to the word, as he solemnly went back to some of his other duties while staying in the area to keep an eye on the human-turned-Mer.

“Morning, Prompto,” Iris’ familiar voice greeted as she joined the blonde.

“Mornin’, Iris,” he smiled back once she was seated. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she giggled.

Ignis looked up upon hearing her enter and hummed briefly. “Good morning, Iris.”

“Good morning, Ignis,” the brunette smiled. “I take it everyone’s still in that meeting?”

“Yes, and it may take a while longer. Now, I assume you came here to eat something, correct?”

“Of course! Thanks, Ignis,” she said, before looking at Prompto. “So, Prompto, how long do you have?”

“You mean until the deal is over? A week, but you already know how I’m staying,” the blonde chuckled.

“Good, because I don’t think Noctis would be able to hold out for too long with you,” she smirked as Prompto nearly choked on his breakfast, leaving him in a coughing fit.

“Iris, please don’t tease him like that,” Ignis pointed out as he swam over. “Wouldn’t want there to be an accident and upset Noct even further.”

“Just having fun, Ignis,” the Mermaid giggled. “You okay there, Prompto?”

“Y-yeah, just didn’t expect you to say that,” he wheezed.

Ignis snorted softly, but he did have a small bemused smirk on his face as he passed Iris a plate of the same food he’d given Prompto.

“Ooh! Eel, my favorite,” she smiled brightly. “Thanks again, Ignis!”

And with that said, she began to eat, but the words caused Prompto to pause briefly before he resumed eating his serving. It was good, so he wasn’t about to complain. Though, yeah; definitely would’ve never tried that one on land.

Just as he took another bite, though, there was a sudden flash of light from beyond the window high above them, making Ignis and Iris look up in slight surprise, before they frowned.

“What was that?” Prompto questioned worriedly, noticing their frowns.

“That… was something colliding with the Wall,” Ignis supplied as a second flash followed shortly after. “It would appear this meeting may just be cut short…

Prompto narrowed his eyes as he watched the flashes through the window, as he recalled the barrier that the Kingsglaive had passed through before that their leader—Nyx, was it?—had called the “Wall”, wishing he had his guns or something similar to help defend everyone, especially Noctis and their eggs.

“It will be fine,” Ignis said, catching the look on Prompto’s face. “As long as the Wall holds, they cannot reach us.”

“It’s that powerful?” Prompto said, and Iris nodded, choosing to let Ignis explain.

“That it is. It can withstand any attack thrown at it, so they may try all they want; it will not do them any good.”

“What’s the catch, though? There’s gotta be a drawback,” the blonde frowned, furrowing his brows in confusion. There was no way that something so powerful could be erected without a cost of equal or greater value.

At that, Ignis frowned in slight concern at the question, his fin flicking about lightly. “…The drawback is that the Wall draws its power from the Crystal… which in turn draws its energy from the line of Lucis.”

“The line of Lucis?”

“That’s the royal family,” Iris told him.

At the explanation, Prompto realized that one day, Noctis would have to become King when his father passed, and that would mean that the Crystal would eventually draw from him, too. He lowered his gaze to his breakfast, almost nauseated at the thought of Noctis being drained by this Crystal. It was a given; the King was definitely not young, though he wasn’t sure _how_ old he really way, and it would probably not be that long until the crown was passed on to Noctis. And with Noctis being the only heir, there was no way this could be avoided.

Ignis frowned softly and looked like he was about to say something, when his gaze was drawn to the entrance. “Morning,” he said solemnly.

“Hey…”

This drew Prompto’s attention to the source, and he saw Noctis in the entrance to the dining room. “Hey,” he murmured in greeting, not sure what to think now. He was worried for his lover, and didn’t want him to be in danger…

“Gah… that took _forever_ …” Noctis half-whined half-groaned as he took a seat and dropped his head on the table with a heavy _thunk_.

“No one said it would be easy,” Ignis pointed out, already working on getting the prince some food. Once he had scooped up enough, he set it down on the table. “Eat up. You look like you need it.”

“Feel like it, too…” Noctis groaned as he pushed up and began on his own (belated) breakfast.

Prompto watched Noctis for a moment, before asking (though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know): “What was the meeting about?”

Noctis hummed around a mouthful of eel and kelp, before he swallowed. “…about my father’s abdication.”

The news made Prompto tense, and he lowered his gaze, biting his lip worriedly. Even Ignis seemed somewhat startled by the revelation, though he managed to mask it (mostly).

“I see… the council must be quite concerned to bring it up so soon.”

“Yeah…”

“What’s the big deal?” Iris asked.

“They’re worried Father’s health may fall before the war with Nifflheim is brought to an end… so they want to ensure the Wall can be maintained until we can end the war.”

“Understandable… if we cannot keep ourselves safe, no amount of battle plans will save us,” Ignis said solemnly.

Prompto couldn’t bring himself to say anything; he was too worried about Noctis, and he didn’t want anything to happen to him.

“Has a date been decided yet?” Ignis asked after a while.

“No… that’s what they were arguing about when they attacked again…” Noctis grumbled, before he stuffed another forkful into his mouth. After swallowing, he said: “But my guess… between now and four days. Five, max.”

‘ _So soon…_ ’ the blonde thought miserably. ‘ _Fucking hell…_ ’

“I see…”

Noctis merely sighed as he poked at the remainder of his food, supporting his head on one hand.

“Prompto? You okay? You’re pretty quiet,” Iris suddenly piped up, and the smaller male shook his head, not sure what to say, if he was being honest with himself.

However, upon the words, Noctis’ attention was also drawn to the blonde, and if he’d looked worried before, it just got worse. “Prom?”

Prompto felt heat gathering behind his eyes again, and knew he was going to start crying soon. He really didn’t want to be around the others like that, though…

Noticing how the human-turned-Mer was becoming upset, Iris looked at Ignis pointedly, silently signaling to him for them to give the pair some privacy. Catching the look, Ignis nodded, and followed Iris out of the room as Noctis pushed off from his seat. Once they were out, Noctis moved to behind Prompto and wrapped his arms around his shoulders from behind.

“Prom… what’s wrong?”

“…I…I don’t want to lose you because of the Crystal…” Prompto whimpered, biting his lip so he wouldn’t start crying.

Though Noctis briefly tensed when Prompto mentioned the Crystal, he figured Ignis or Iris had brought it up, so he shook that off and instead ran his fingers through the blonde’s hair, shushing him softly as he tugged him close. “Sssh… it’s okay… don’t worry…”

“But I saw what it’s done to your dad…! I don’t want the same thing for you…!” the smaller male choked out.

“Prom… my Father’s been supporting the Wall and Insomnia for years…” Noctis murmured. “For it to have the same effect on me… it would take at least a decade… maybe two…” Moving over and kissing the blonde’s temple, he said: “It’s not something that just happens overnight…”

“But… I don’t want to lose you… Not again…” the smaller male whispered, still struggling not to cry.

“You won’t… I promise…” Noctis murmured, curling his arm around the blonde’s shoulder a little firmer.

“Still…”

“Enough, Prom,” Noctis shushed him gently, turning his head and kissing him. “You won’t… I swear.”

Prompto kissed back, a somewhat distressed noise escaping him as he did, before he relaxed a bit in Noctis’s hold. After pulling back, Noctis held his lover closer again, resting his head along Prompto’s.

“…S…sorry…” the smaller male mumbled eventually.

“It’s okay…”

“I’m just worried, since I finally get to be with you properly, and I don’t want to lose you ‘cause of this…” Prompto rambled.

“Sssh…” Noctis shushed him softly, resting one hand on his shoulder.

“…Why does it have to work like that, though?”

“The Crystal, you mean?”

“The whole Crystal draining the line of Lucis for the Wall.”

“…” Noctis sighed. “I don’t know why… it just does. It’s always been that way… kept us safe…”

“Right…” Prompto murmured, before looking back at Noctis. “Thank you…”

The prince merely smiled as he briefly kissed Prompto to his temple. “…wanna go back up?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind…” the smaller male nodded.

Nodding, Noctis moved back, allowing Prom to get up and taking his hand gently. And the blonde accepted the offered hand with a small smile before the pair headed back up to Noctis’s room. Once there, Prompto thought of something.

“Hey, Noct? Is it something private, when the abdication happens? Or can I be there?”

“It’s… a public event,” Noctis murmured as he opened the shell again. “Everyone in the Corale is permitted to be there.”

“Geez, lotta pressure, then, huh?” Prompto commented.

“Ugh… yeah…” Noctis mumbled as he settled on the bed.

“Well, I’ll try and get as close as I can to watch so you can see me. Maybe that’ll help with keeping your nerves down,” the smaller male offered.

“Thanks…” Noctis murmured.

“Anytime,” Prompto smiled as he joined Noctis on the bed. He then remembered Iris’ comment before for some reason, and chuckled. “Iris nearly made me choke on my breakfast earlier.”

“Hm? How so?”

“She knows about how I’m staying, and basically heavily hinted how you’re not going to hold back with me when my time’s almost up,” the blonde told him. “I didn’t expect it, which was what caught me off guard.”

Noctis regarded him for a few moments, his expression not changing, before he snorted and then laughed. And Prompto couldn’t help but join in, even though knew Iris was right. After all, if the tables were turned, and Prompto was to top Noctis down here, he wouldn’t want to hold back, either. The raven was too damn sexy.

Once Noctis had managed to calm down, he moved over to the pillow with the eggs and unhooked the blanket from it so that he could look at the eggs.

“…How are they?” the smaller male asked with a small smile as he looked at them as well.

“…they look good…” Noctis murmured with a small smile.

“Good,” Prompto nodded, idly wondering what their genders would be. He was hoping for one girl and one boy, to be honest. Then again, they might have more than that with his eggs once they’re laid and do eventually hatch.

“What are you thinking of?” Noctis asked, spotting the look.

“Just wondering what they’ll be when they hatch,” the blonde shrugged. “Kinda hoping for a girl and a boy, to be honest.”

“Heh…” Noctis chuckled. “It’s going to be difficult to tell, I’m afraid… not until they’ve already hatched.”

“Figured as much,” Prompto nodded. “I just remember back on land, humans have a machine that lets doctors check on a mother’s baby or babies before they’re born, that way both mother and baby are okay. The machine also lets the doctor check the gender or genders.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Obviously never experienced any of that myself, I just know about it as sort of…common knowledge, I guess, as a human.”

Noctis hummed curiously tilting his head, before he secured the blanket along the pillow again.

“There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t get to show you, but it’s okay. Besides, you’ll have a lot to show me down here,” Prompto smiled, chuckling at the raven’s curious expression.

“Haha, I suppose so,” Noctis agreed.

“Is there anything I could at least tell you about, if you have questions?” the smaller male offered.

“Hmmm…” Noctis frowned for a moment, considering that.

“You can think on it, no worries. I’m not going anywhere, after all,” Prompto chuckled.

That made Noctis laugh briefly, before he thought of something. “Do humans sing normally? I haven’t heard them do so a lot…”

This caused the blonde to chuckle. “Technically, yes, but skillfully? Not always. Like I can’t keep a tune for shit.”

“Huh? But you sang pretty good before…”

“Oh, that? I was just humming a small tune I’d made up. But I can’t sing lyrics or anything like that. If I try, I just sound like some dying animal,” the blonde laughed.

Noctis just watched Prompto with a look that clearly said he didn’t believe a word of that.

“Okay, maybe not that bad, but still. Humming and actually singing are different.”

“I don’t think they are.”

“Maybe to you. It is for humans, though.”

“Uh-huh…”

“What else do you wanna know?”

“Don’t change the subject,” Noctis suddenly said, poking Prompto to his cheek. “Sing something.”

“Like what? I can’t think of something off the top of my head like that. And that tune I hummed then, it has no lyrics.”

“Yes it does; I made them, remember?”

“Aw, geez… Yeah, I remember when you did, but I don’t remember how it went…” the blonde admitted, embarrassed.

Noctis rolled his eyes, sitting back a bit, before he took a deep breath and then began to sing Prompto’s Chocobo song.

“Hang on,” the smaller male mumbled, stopping the raven halfway through the first verse. “There’s one song I remember, but we’ll see if I can get it right…” Taking a breath, Prompto paused before beginning to sing an old song he’d heard on the radio _years_ ago.

“I know that you lied to me  
Using gentle words, to shelter me  
Your words are like a dream  
But dreams could never fool me  
It’s not right to me…”

Noctis remained silent throughout it all, pulling up his tail and leaning his head on one hand as he watched the blonde as he continued to sing.

“I’m acting so distant now  
Turned my back, as you walked away  
But I was listening…  
That you fight your battles far from me  
It’s not right to me…”

“‘Don’t you worry cause I’ll come back…’  
I could hear you speaking as you walked to that door  
I acted strong  
To hide that back, when I turned back the pages  
Crying might have been the answer  
What if I shed my tears and begged you not to leave?

But now I’m not afraid  
To do what’s in my heart

Those thousand words  
Have never been spoken  
So far away,  
I’m sending them to you wherever you are  
Suspended on shining wings

Those thousand words  
Have never been spoken  
They’ll cradle you  
Making all of your pain seem so far away  
And hold you forever…”

As the blonde concluded the song (or at least the first half of it), Noctis continued to watch him quietly, his fin lightly flicking along the bed. After what felt like forever, he tilted his head with a small half-smirk. “And you say you’re horrible…”

“Aw, come on, I’m not as good as most!” Prompto whined, embarrassed. He didn’t really like to sing around other people, and never felt he was that good. Especially when one customer once berated him for singing in the first place at Cid’s garage. The idiot hated seeing others happy, in Prompto’s opinion.

“I think it was nice,” Noctis said firmly as he moved over to sit right next to Prompto.

The blonde merely shrugged, before saying, “Now that that’s settled… What else do you wanna know?”

Noctis hummed, thinking. As he was about to speak, though, a powerful wave caused the water to lurch almost violently and slam against the “window”, making it slam against the outer wall with a bang.

“CRED!! The hell?!”

“What the fuck was that?!” Prompto yelped, worried for their safety now.

“Stay here! Keep the eggs safe!” Noctis said as he moved away toward the window. Halfway there, though, he stopped and swam back. “Here,” he said, raising his hand and summoning an intricate dagger. “I doubt you’ll need it… but just in case,” he murmured as he passed it to Prompto.

“O-okay…” the smaller male said, taking the dagger. “Just be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt or caught again…”

“Don’t worry about me…” Noctis whispered, swiftly kissing his lover. “They’re on our turf now… and like hell am I going to let anyone get away with this.”

“I know, but still, I won’t be able to help it until you get back safely,” Prompto sighed, unable to help it.

“I know, Prom… I know…” Noctis murmured as he moved back and then up to the top of the shell. “Mind your head…” he warned, as he pulled on the shell to get it down to cover the bed.

The blonde complied, moving to curl up his tail protectively around the pillow and blanket with their eggs. He wished he had some sort of shooting weapon right now…

“I’ll be back soon,” Noctis promised before the shell could close fully. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Prompto murmured, his worrying flaring up further once the shell closed completely. If anything happened to Noctis again, the Wyf were going to pay dearly, and at Prompto’s own hands, if he had anything to say about it.

Once the shell had closed, Noctis briefly laid his hand on top of the shell, taking a few long gulps of water and air, trying to push aside his worry. He knew he wouldn’t succeed entirely with that, but at least to a reasonable degree. That took him much longer than he would’ve liked, but when he was able to lift his hand without it shaking from worry, he swam for the window and, once he was sure it was okay, he shot out through the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Prom's singing in here is Koda Kumi's "1000 Words".


	28. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a fight breaks up, it's always best to wrap it up quickly.

Once outside, it took Noctis a few moments to figure out exactly what had happened. The Wall was still up, and yet somehow the enemy had gotten inside. Not a lot from what he could see from his current angle, but there were enough for them to pose a problem.

He could hear the Kingsglaive’s horns calling out the orders that he didn’t understand in its entirety, but he knew enough to know what was happening. Or at least figure out the plan. And right now, it was to ensure the safety of the people, and at the same time safeguard the Crystal and his father.

After a brief look around, he spotted a pair of familiar faces. “Axel! Cloud!” he shouted as he moved over. “What happened?”

“…You Highness,” Cloud greeted firmly as he noticed the prince. “It seems the Captain’s treachery ran deeper than initially believed…”

“Some of the Kingsglaive turned on us and let some Wyf in,” the redhead added, growling.

“Dammit…!” Noctis snarled. “Where’s Nyx?!”

“Gone to secure King Regis…”

“You need to get to safety, too, Your Majesty,” Axel told the prince urgently.

“ _Hell_ no!” Noctis hissed. “I’m not letting them get away with this!”

Axel looked like he was about the say something else, but when he cast a look at Cloud, he noticed the blonde looking at him in a way that told him he’d be wasting breath and time if he tried. “…Just be careful, then, Your Majesty,” the redheaded Mer cautioned, nodding to the raven.

“I intend to… Cloud, can I ask you to keep watch at my window?”

“…Understood, Your Highness,” Cloud said simply, swiftly moving to the prince’s window.

Glad to have someone watching Prompto, Noctis turned to Axel. “Where are the others?”

“Roxas is nearby us, seeking out any stray Wyf. Sora and Riku are around the Citadel, as are Tidus and Leon,” Axel informed Noctis.

“Right…” Noctis murmured, nodding, looking around briefly. “…Do we have any idea how many are there?”

“Around 20, but since they’re somewhat scattered, that’s why Roxas is seeking out the stragglers,” the redhead answered immediately.

Nodding once more, Noctis turned toward the top of the Citadel. “…They might try to reach the Crystal from above…” he growled, before he launched himself upward.

“I’ll follow you,” Axel nodded as he swiftly followed the prince.

Noctis didn’t object as he went, rushing for the Citadel’s top floor. Once there, he looked around, and he breathed out in relief when he realized no one was there. “Good… they haven’t gotten here yet…”

“Maybe we should stay, just in case they try to,” the redhead suggested, lightly spinning his chakrams in his fingers.

“Yeah… better… I’d rather not risk it…” Noctis agreed.

Axel nodded, keeping his guard up, just in case. However, he was a bit worried about Roxas, considering the blonde was on his own as he searched, but he knew his boyfriend could handle himself quite with his two Keyblades.

 

“Roxas! Behind you!!” Tidus’ voice screamed out suddenly, as one of the Wyf suddenly lunged for the small blonde with its jaws opened wide.

“Ah…!” the Keyblade-wielder gasped, before whipping Oblivion around and slashing the Wyf’s face with the dark Keyblade.

The Wyf screeched in agony at the lash, right before Tidus was right there and buried his blade into the Niff’s side, making it gargle on blood.

“Thanks,” Roxas nodded to the taller blonde.

“No prob,” Tidus quipped as he pulled his blade out.

“Where’s Leon? I thought he was with you.”

“We split up for a bit! He should be heading toward Sora and Riku by now.”

“Sounds good. Mind helping me find the stragglers?” Roxas asked.

“You got it!” Tidus quipped with a grin.

“Thanks,” the smaller blonde smirked, before he led the way to seek out the stray Wyf.

 

“Come on, Sora!” Riku called back as he and the brunette hurried to join Leon.

“Coming, Riku!” the smaller male nodded, and soon, they found Leon.

“Leon, you holding up okay?” the silverette asked a they got close.

“…Fine,” Leon snorted out.

Sora looked around, confused. “Where’s Tidus?”

“Supporting Roxas,” the scarred Mer said solemnly as he cocked his blade over his shoulder.

“Then Rox is okay, good,” Sora smiled, relieved. Despite his brother’s strength, he’d still worried about him.

“Have any of them come this way?” Riku inquired.

“A few… think I got most of ‘em.”

“And with Rox and Tidus seeking out the remaining stragglers, then we should be able to keep the Citadel safe,” Sora nodded.

Leon merely snorted in response – just as there was another wave that almost threw them into the walls. “The hell?!”

“What was that?!” Riku gasped.

“…Ch.” Snarling, Leon rushed off in the direction the wave had come from.

“H-hey! Wait up!” Sora yelped, as he and Riku darted after him.

As they swam along, though, a sudden scream caught their attention and the stopped midswim to look down. And when they did, they it took them only a moment to take notice of a pair of Niffs, pressed up against a wall just a little bit away from a third, dead Niff that was floating a little over the ground. The smallest of the two was covering a fairly nasty wound to keep it from bleeding him out, and the other was clearly trying to help him.

“Ch… we missed some,” Leon hissed out.

“Then let’s finish the job,” Riku growled.

“Let’s…” Leon snarled, readying his blade.

However, just as they were about to rush forward, the taller of the Wyf noticed them from the corner of his eyes and snapped his head around in alarm. “Cred!!” he hissed, before he turned to the smaller Wyf and pushed his back. “Vaan! Go!”

“Wha…!? But I--”

“Just GO!!” the taller Wyf shouted as he reached out and grabbed one of the Mer’s blades that had been dropped in the scuffle, before he rushed to meet the Mer head-on.

“Guys, look out!!” Sora screamed in warning. “He’s trying to protect the other one!!”

“Then you take that one,” Leon hissed as he lashed out at the Wyf, who swiftly blocked it and then darted aside to avoid Riku’s blade.

“Right,” the brunette nodded, swiftly darting after the fleeing Wyf with his Kingdom Key poised for a fight.

While Leon and Riku kept the taller Wyf busy, Sora almost easily caught up to the injured one. Not that he’d managed to get very far, since his injury didn’t allow for that, and Sora found him in one of the alleys, panting as he tried to keep moving while also covering his wound. Which wasn’t working as well as he would’ve liked.

As kind-hearted as Sora was, he knew he couldn’t let the Wyf escape, or else it would cause problems later. So, he raised his Keyblade, prepared to strike.As the Wyf noticed him, though, he quickly grabbed a rock from the ground and lobbed it at Sora.

Sora was quick to block it with his Keyblade, before bringing it down on the injured Wyf to finish it off.

However, just as Sora was about to lash out, the Wyf raised up his hands – summoning a lance that blocked the keyblade before it could strike him.

“What?!” Sora gasped, shocked. “How did you—?!”

The Wyf didn’t respond, as he was struggling to both keep Sora away and to keep himself from reaching for his wound, teeth ground together to keep his cries in. However, because of Sora’s confusion, he was able to knock the brunette off and then rush off as best as he could.

“Oh, no you don’t,” the brunette growled, before pursuing the Wyf at a swift pace. He soon caught up, and then used his Keyblade to make a cage of light, capturing the Wyf.

“Ah?!” the Niff choked out as he swam right into the bars, hissing, before he turned and glared at Sora.

“It’s your own fault, so don’t glare at me,” Sora huffed, before looking back at Riku and Leon.

Just as he did, it was right in time to see Riku knock the other Wyf backwards to slam into a wall with a pained grunt. The smaller Wyf also barely caught sight of that, and he gasped in alarm. “REKS!!” he shouted, panicked.

“Pipe down, would ya? They’ll be quick,” Sora grumbled. “They won’t make him suffer like you do to us.”

“…if you do that…” the Wyf said suddenly, and when Sora looked over, he noticed the blonde Niff now had a dagger in his hand, and had it press against his own throat with a venomous glare.

“Damn you,” the brunette spat, before looking back to Leon and Riku. “Guys, don’t kill him!! Just knock him out or something, but don’t kill him! I’ll explain in a sec!” he yelled to them.

“Sora, are you kidding me?!” Riku demanded.

“Just trust me, Riku!”

Leon glared in annoyance, but rather than question it, he slammed his elbow against the Wyf’s neck, which immediately knocked him out. “…Riku…”

The silverette nodded, and then used his Keyblade to wrap the unconscious Wyf in a chain made of light. “What’s this about, Sora?” he questioned once the chain was secured.

“This one summoned, and he threatened to kill himself if we kill his little friend,” the brunette growled, throwing the caged Wyf an annoyed look.

“He’s not my ‘friend’!” the Niff snarled. “He’s my /brother!!/”

“And we’re supposed to know that how?” Riku snorted.

Leon frowned as he regarded the glaring blonde for a moment. He supposed the two Wyf DID look alike somewhat, but like Riku said, that didn’t say much. To most Mer, all the Wyf looked the same, after all, and very few really cared much either way. What _was_ interesting, though, was the dark mark that seemed to circle the area just above his tail.

“Let’s take them to the cells before anything else happens,” Riku suggested.

“Let’s…”

 

“Noct!!” a familiar voice shouted then, and Noctis whirled around, he allowed a small sigh of relief when he saw Gladio swimming over with Tidus and Roxas in tow.

“Gladio,” he said in greeting.

“Looks like they didn’t get up here yet, huh?” Tidus murmured.

“No, thankfully. Have you seen the others at all?” Axel asked.

Roxas shook his head. “Haven’t seen Sora, Riku, or Leon since we split up earlier,” he answered.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Tidus pointed out.

“Yeah,” Noctis agreed as he looked out across the rest of Insomnia. ‘ _I hope everyone else was able to get to safety…_ ’

“You doing okay, Rox?” Axel asked, concerned for his boyfriend.

“Yeah, once Tidus showed up to help, we found all the stragglers,” the blonde assured the redhead.

“Thanks for helping, Tidus,” Axel told the taller blonde.

“No prob,” Tidus said with a small grin.

Gladio snorted as he regarded Insomnia as well. “Looks like things are calming down…”

“Yeah…” Noctis said firmly, a frown on his face. “…you thinking what I’m thinking, Gladio?”

“Yep,” the Shield snorted.

“Huh wha…?” Tidus got out.

“What do you mean?” Roxas questioned, as Axel frowned curiously.

“Get your weapons out,” Gladio said rather than answer the question, summoning his broadsword as Noctis brought curled his fingers around his own sword.

And the moment they had, Noctis shouted: “Behind!!” making them all whirl around to block the weapons of the Niffs that had (somehow) managed to get behind them without anyone noticing.

Axel snarled as he caught one of the weapons in his chakrams, before flicking the spiked weapons just right to send the weapon flying from the Wyf’s grasp. Roxas, on the other hand, blocked with Oathkeeper before lashing out with Oblivion to slash into the Wyf’s flesh.

Gladio, in the meantime, was knocking back each and every one of the Wyf rushing at him, and Noctis was almost easily warp-dodging to the side to avoid them before dealing an almost instant deathblow with his sword. It was a bloody mess and the water around them turned a dark red because of it, and he was sure that if the Wall hadn’t been in place, any and all predators would’ve come rushing at the scent of blood.

“Goodness, what a mess it’s become here, hasn’t it?”

Noctis almost froze at those words, but his training allowed him to spin around to avoid the nearest Wyf and slice its back open with one well-aimed swing of his arm. Once that was dealt with, he turned around, and then he snarled, as his eyes began to glow a vicious violet. “ _You…!_ ”

The others were far too much invested in their own battles to notice the maroon-haired male, and in a way, that was for the better. After all, Noctis had a personal score to settle with this guy. He didn’t even realize that guy’s summoned his own weapon before he was rushing in, anger overriding everything.

He just wants the fucker to _die!!_

 

Meanwhile, as the battle outside continued to rage, Prompto remained curled around the pillow holding the eggs. As he looked at the blanket carefully, though, he realized it seemed to be lightly moving, but only very slightly.

“It’s okay, little ones…” the blonde whispered soothingly, curling a bit tighter around them. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Just as he finished those words, there was a menacing cracking sound from outside, at the doorway. Immediately, Prompto tightened his grip on the dagger, tensing as he stared in the direction of the door. He couldn’t leave, not without his and Noctis’ eggs.

The sound grew louder until he could identify it as that of the door being broken open. And what followed that almost sounded like the slithering of tentacles. Prompto narrowed his eyes dangerously at the noises as he curled even tighter around the pillow, for he was hell-bent on protecting the eggs.

Steadily, the sound grew closer and closer, until if stopped right outside the shell covering the bed. The blonde’s muscles were coiled like a spring, ready to attack the intruder as soon as the shell opened, his lips curling back in an involuntary snarl.

He didn’t have to wait long, as something curled around the shell from below, and then forced it upward. However, because it was being forced, the shell actually refused to move back on its own. Not that it mattered as a black tentacle curled under the shell’s edge and inched for the pillow holding the eggs.

Immediately, Prompto sliced the end of the tentacle off, a warning growl escaping him. This drew a pained screech from whatever was out there as the tentacle retracted, the shell dropping back as it was released.

‘ _That’s right, back off,_ ’ the blonde thought furiously, a wicked smirk curving his lips.

As the scream faded, it was followed by a growl of fury, before the shell groaned as it was forced up again. And as it was, Prompto braced himself again, ready to defend his and Noctis’ eggs with his life if he had to. The moment the shell was forced open, though, several large tentacles shot in and for both Prompto and the eggs.

“Ah…!” Prompto gasped, before slashing at them swiftly, cutting all of them in a few quick swipes. “Leave them alone!!” he snarled.

However, just then, a single tentacle curled around him and snagged Prompto up, trapping his arms to his sides.

“Fuck!” the blonde swore, struggling to break free, despite the tight grip.

“Foolish boy…” came a chillingly haunting voice. “Did you truly think you could stand in my way?”

“Don’t you fucking _touch_ them, you bitch!!” Prompto spat, glaring at the source lividly.

“Or what?” the Weiz murmured, her expression deathly cold as her tentacles tightened dangerously around him. “What do you think you can do to stop me?”

The blonde snarled, unable to do anything to stop her, even as he continued to struggle against the firm grip. The Weiz chuckled icily as she easily kept him suspended, with one of her slippery limbs circling the pillow with the eggs.

“NO!!” Prompto screamed, trying to whip her with his tail in an attempt to stop her.

That shout actually got him a smack across the face from the Weiz’s tentacle. “Be silent, welp,” she hissed. “I am here to take back what I’m owed; I’ll not have you disrupt me.”

“You’re not owed a fucking thing! You’re a rotten bitch!!” the blonde shouted furiously, desperate to stop her.

“How pitiful—” she began, only to scream as both the tentacle that had grabbed Prompto and the one reaching for the eggs was sliced clean through.

As soon as he was free, Prompto hurried to the eggs, making sure they weren’t damaged in the slightest by that damned Weiz. Once he was sure they were okay, he looked to see a tall, blonde Mer poised between him and the Weiz, his massive sword raised for a fight.

“How dare you…?!” the Weiz snarled furiously as she regarded Cloud, but the Kingsglaive didn’t even bother to respond to her demand. Instead, he said solemnly to Prompto: “Stay back…”

“Right,” the smaller male nodded, moving to cover the eggs with his body.

Once he had the blonde’s confirmation on the matter, Cloud snapped his tail out and launched himself at the Weiz as she screeched with energy coiling around her arms. As she threw it at him, though, Cloud almost easily knocked the energy aside and lashed out with the massive blade he carried. The witch screeched as the blade cut through her skin, drawing blood.

Prompto watched, amazed, as the taller blonde wielded the hefty blade with ease, but still remained hunkered over his and Noctis’s eggs protectively.

Despite the Weiz’s best attempts to get at Cloud, the Mer was undeterred and easily knocked her backwards. And as she slammed into the wall, he didn’t even hesitate as he plunged the massive blade through her gut, making her wail in agony.

And Prompto nodded once firmly, knowing the bitch was getting what she deserved.

“Y-you… h-how dare y—GYAAAHHH!!!”

Cloud’s expression didn’t even twitch as he twisted his blade in ways that had to cause excruciating pain to the Weiz. It was obvious that the blonde Kingsglaive didn’t have an inch of compassion for the woman as she screeched and writhed.

Prompto continued to watch, honestly just wanting the Weiz to die already. Then again, for everything she’d done, she deserved to suffer. And Cloud seemed to agree, as he wordlessly twisted his blade once more, before he removed it from her gut and then slammed the weapon through her chest.

‘ _Hopefully that’ll do it… I’d be horrified if it didn’t…_ ’ the smaller male thought as his eyes widened.

Thankfully, that was all it took as the Weiz stopped screaming, finally, and then went slack completely.

“…Is it over?” Prompto asked hesitantly, as though afraid she would suddenly spring back to life.

“…yes,” the older Mer said solemnly.

“Thank god…” the smaller blonde sighed. “Thanks for coming in when you did. I tried to stop her, but…”

“…” Cloud wordlessly turned to face Prompto, his expression still not changing at all.

“You’re Cloud, right?” Prompto finally asked after a few moments.

The only response he got to that was a small nod.

“Well, thank you, Cloud. You saved them from being taken again,” he smiled faintly, briefly looking down at the eggs.

Cloud said nothing in response as he regarded the blonde as he concerned himself over the eggs. Whatever was on his mind, he kept it to himself.

“At least the eggs are safe,” Prompto murmured, finally relaxing for the first time since the attack had started. He was still worried about Noctis, but had to trust his lover to come back unharmed.

“…” Cloud regarded him for a moment more, before he moved to retrieve his sword, not caring as the Weiz floated to the ground.

“…How are things outside?” Prompto asked quietly, worried for the others, especially Noctis, despite his faith in the raven.

“…fine,” Cloud said solemnly.

The smaller blonde nodded, the short answer somewhat easing his mind.

Rather than say anything else, Cloud merely dismissed his blade and moved over to the window, leaning against the windowpane with his arms crossed.

And Prompto mentally sighed, hoping Noctis would be back soon.

 

Noctis had never been in any real battle before then. He’d only ever trained with Gladio to get some basic experience, and even that had always been in a controlled environment, where he had unlimited access to the Armiger. Sure, he could still reach into the Armiger now, but that didn’t make it any less dangerous to use it.

And to make matters even worse, this guy – whoever he was – could _also_ reach into the Armiger. He didn’t know how or why, but in the end, it didn’t matter; this guy was in league with the Niffs. And that was all he needed to know… not even counting the fact that he was _also_ responsible for taking away his children originally.

All the more reason to want him _dead!_

As their blades clashed with a metallic clanging, Noctis growled dangerously from the back of his throat. The force behind the swing forced him back momentarily, but he shot forward just as quickly, and this time with not one but five different blades rushing for the other Mer. They were caught by the man’s own blades, but Noctis wasn’t finished.

With those blades blocked, he reached out once more and released a sixth blade at point blank. It struck his mark and the other Mer actually gave a small cry of pain. And that was enough for Noctis to get past his guard and drive his own blade into the man’s flesh. Sadly, he missed his gut, since he moved aside, but at least he got it through his shoulder.

However, because it wasn’t a deadly blow, the other Mer was to lash out with his own blade, nicking Noctis on the shoulder in turn. Though Noctis was able to hold back his cry of pain, he couldn’t prevent himself from reaching for his shoulder as he backed up quickly.

“Well now…” the other Mer chuckled, not even bothering to reach for his own shoulder, despite how Noct’s blade had gone right through it earlier, and the expression on his face was still as smug as it had been earlier. “That was interesting… but, I’m afraid I’ve lost interest in this scuffle.”

Those words made Noctis freeze up briefly, before he snarled. “Don’t you dare--”

“Ta-ta.”

And then he was gone and Noctis was left cursing furiously while he staunched his bloody shoulder. When he looked back, though, he began to see a reason as to why the other had suddenly left; the others had just taken out the remainder of the Wyf. Blood everywhere, and it was definitely less than pleasant currently. They’d have to get rid of it soon…

Still, a cursory glance around revealed that, yeah, everything else was also quieting down, and this made Noctis sigh in relief. “Right… good… that’s… that’s good…” he got out, as he felt his own injury mend under his fingers. One of the good things of being born in Insomnia; you heal quickly.

As things finally quieted down, though, Noctis thought of only one thing; he had to get back to Prompto…

 

It felt like an eternity before things outside seemed to have finally calmed down, and Cloud hummed as he glanced outside. “…it’s over,” he stated simply.

“Really?” Prompto blinked, a bit surprised, but then he sighed in relief. “Thank god…”

“…hmm…” Cloud hummed as he wordlessly pushed open the shell to the window, before he moved over to the corpse of the Weiz and snagged it up.

Prompto honestly didn’t even want to know what Cloud was going to do with the corpse, so he kept quiet.

Of course, the Kingsglaive said nothing to explain himself, and instead swam out of the room without a word. But before he could disappear from view, he said: “His Highness should return soon…”

This had the smaller blonde perking up, and he nodded to Cloud in acknowledgement, despite the older Mer more than likely not seeing it.

Sure enough, barely 10 minutes after Cloud had disappeared from view, Noctis swam down into the room from above, holding a hand against his shoulder as he did. As soon as he noticed the shell open, though, his eyes widened in alarm. “Prom…!”

“It’s okay, we’re okay!” Prompto said quickly to reassure the raven. “A Weiz tried to get the eggs, but Cloud killed her. I tried to defend them myself before he came, but she snared me with one of her tentacles… I’m sorry…”

Noctis sighed softly in relief, before he moved over and wrapped his arm around the blonde’s shoulders, pulling him close. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault, I just can’t believe I couldn’t protect them myself…” the blonde sighed.

Noctis quietly shushed him, rubbing his head soothingly and kissing his temple softly. “Don’t worry… it’s over now…”

“Yeah, it is,” Prompto smiled slightly at Noctis. “Are you okay, though? I know what you said, but I was still worried about you.”

“I’m fine… they’re just minor injuries…” the taller Mer murmured.

“Better be,” Prompto huffed. “I’d rather be worried for nothing than something major.”

Noctis merely smiled as he settled on the bed a bit better. “Sorry for worrying you…”

“It’s okay, but it shouldn’t happen again with her dead now, right?” the smaller male asked, glancing at the eggs.

“Hopefully…”

“I hope so, too…” Prompto murmured, pressing close to Noctis’s side.

Noctis smiled as he held the blonde close, resting his head against Prompto’s as he reclined back against the bed a bit.

And Prompto hummed contently, simply happy to remain with Noctis like this for as long as they could.

“I’m just… gonna rest for a bit… kay?” Noctis whispered after a moment.

“M’kay,” the blonde nodded. “I’ll rest with you.”

“…cool…” Noctis murmured, before they both settled down quietly.

 

Later, Prompto woke to a knock on the door, followed by Iris’s voice calling through it.

“Noctis? Prompto?” she called to them.

“…mmm…” Noctis groaned lazily, before he sighed. “Enter…”

The brunette came into the room, and looked at the raven. “I was asked to bring you to the King, Noctis,” she told him.

“…I see…” Noctis murmured. “I’ll be right there.”

“What about me?” Prompto asked, confused.

“…Did he say anything about Prompto?”

“No, but Gladdy and I can watch the eggs if he wants to go with,” Iris offered, and the blonde looked at Noctis, hoping everything was all right.

“Sounds good…” Noctis agreed, before looking to Prom. “Shall we go?”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, before following Noctis out of the room.

As they swam along the halls, there were several people swimming around, hurrying to seemingly fix the damage that had been done when the Weiz had infiltrated the Citadel. This sight made Noctis growl softly, but he said nothing else.

“It’s over, Noct. We’ll be okay,” Prompto reminded him quietly when he heard the growl.

Noctis sighed softly, before he nodded his head.

 

Finally, the swam into a room that Prompto hadn’t actually been to before. And when they entered it, he swiftly realized why that was;

It was the throne room.

The blonde looked around in awe, his jaw nearly going slack as a result. The room was gigantic; at least twice as big as the dining room, with long spires curling around the walls, supporting the ceiling, and numerous sculptures

Noctis, however, continued swimming straight ahead, up toward where King Regis was sitting, a thoughtful look on his face. “Father,” he called out then, causing the older Mer to look up.

“Ah, Noct. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine… my injuries have already healed.”

Nodding, King Regis then turned to Prompto. “And you, Prompto?”

“More worried about Noct, but I’m fine,” Prompto smiled politely.

The King nodded in obvious relief, even as Noctis and Prompto swam over to the King’s side.

“What was so urgent, Father?” the prince asked, just as there was a knock on the door.

Then Sora, Riku, and Leon came in, Sora guiding a cage made of light with a Wyf inside, and Riku carrying another Wyf wrapped up in chains made of light. Prompto’s eyes widened, before he frowned, confused.

As the three Mer stopped some distance away from the throne and bowed, Prompto finally had a better chance to look at the two Wyf. Their skins were tanned, like they spent a lot of time in the sun, and their hair was a pale corn-blonde color. Their tails were much darker and, like he had already noticed earlier, the fin was placed vertically, so that they had to move their tails from side to side in order to move forward.

“…Oh… now I see…” Noctis whispered softly.

Regis nodded briefly, though it wasn’t easy to tell whether it was in response to his son’s words or the three Mer’s arrival. “At ease,” he said to the three Mer. “Now… please explain to us what happened.”

“Your Majesty, this Wyf,” Sora began, gesturing to the caged one, “managed to somehow summon a lance when I was about to strike him. When I captured him, he threatened to kill himself with a summoned dagger if we killed his brother.” At this, he pointed to the unconscious Wyf Riku carried. “We don’t know how he is able to summon.”

“Hmm…” The King frowned in worry, as his hands tightened slightly around the armrests of the throne.

“…he could summon?” Noctis murmured softly.

“Summon?” Prompto repeated quietly to Noctis, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Mer can summon a weapon of their choice… but only when the Line of Lucis grants them that ability,” Noctis whispered back. “So as you can imagine, Wyf shouldn’t be able to summon weapons.”

“Weird…” the blonde murmured, frowning.

“Yeah…” Noctis murmured, frowning softly.

“Noctis,” Regis suddenly said.

“Yes sir?” Noctis asked solemnly as he turned to the King.

“What do you make of this?”

“…Hard to say,” Noctis admitted, turning to the two Wyf. “He doesn’t carry a summon charm… so I’m not sure how he could’ve learned how to summon…”

Sora shook his head a little in confusion. Riku, however, looked as though he had a question, before he finally voiced it.

“What should we do with them, Your Majesty?” the silverette asked.

The King hummed, his tail slowly moving along the bottom of the throne as he rubbed his beard in thought. The blonde Wyf in the cage was glaring up at the King, but he was keeping quiet, probably to keep himself out of further trouble. However, that look made the older Mer frown deeply.

“…Noctis.”

“Yes sir?”

“…Does this boy not remind you of someone?”

“…pardon?” Noctis questioned, before he regarded the blonde with a frown of his own.

Even Prompto was confused, as were the Kingsglaive before them.

Eventually, Noctis shook his head. “I can’t say he does, sir.”

“Is that so?” Regis murmured, lightly tapping his fingers along the armrest. “…Very well. Let us think on this properly. Sora, Riku, Leon. Take them to the dungeons.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sora and Riku said in unison, bowing slightly before carting the brothers off with Leon.

Once they were gone, Prompto looked at Regis. “Your Majesty, what did you mean before?” he asked.

“Hmm…” Regis shook his head softly. “I’m not sure…” he admitted. “There was something… familiar about him…”

“…Do you know from where, Father?”

“That, I do not…”

“Definitely strange…” Prompto sighed.

“…Ah, right, Prompto,” the King said suddenly.

“Yes, sir?” the blonde said, perking up and looking at the older Mer.

Regis smiled kindly at the blonde Mer and said; “There’s no need to be so formal. Just call me Regis.”

The smaller male blinked in surprise, and then smiled. “Thank you, Regis,” he murmured.

Noctis smiled at the exchange, before a frown came over his face. “Father, how’s the Wall holding up?”

Regis frowned at the words, before he sighed. “It holds, don’t worry. It won’t fall so soon.”

“I see…”

Prompto listened to this, before asking, “Has the Wall ever fallen before?”

Noctis regarded the blonde for a moment, before he turned back to his father.

“Once… when the Crystal was taken from us by force,” the older Mer admitted. “But that was ages ago… and it will not be likely to happen again.”

“That’s a relief,” Prompto smiled.

Noctis nodded to show he shared the sentiment, before he frowned in thought. “Father, has a date been decided yet?”

This caused Prompto to perk up, curious as well.

Though Regis looked a bit surprised that his son had asked the question, he shook it off quickly enough. “As of now, not yet. Though I’m sure the council will certainly attempt to push it forward as soon as possible.”

“…Maybe we should.”

Even Prompto frowned in concern at the suggestion. “Noct…?” he murmured questioningly.

Regis looked at his son in question, seemingly more curious than concerned. “Why do you think that, Noct?”

“I can’t say for certain, but what if Nifflheim’s staging all these attacks because they _know_ you’re running out of energy to supply the Crystal?” Noctis pointed out.

Regis didn’t seem offended that his son had just (basically) told him he was getting old, which likely had to do with the fact that he _was_ , and instead focused on his son’s argument. “So you’re saying that upon the abdication, they’ll likely cease, because there’s less risk of the Wall falling if you support it.”

“Yes. I can’t say for certain if this will work, but the chance of them calling the attack off should definitely be taken into consideration.”

Prompto nodded, understanding, but he still didn’t like it.

“Hmm… you have a point…” Regis murmured, putting a hand to his chin. “…The only downside is that the council will likely try to speed everything along then…”

“…Is it really?”

“What do you mean?” the blonde asked, confused.

Regis, however, seemed to understand what Noctis meant, and he hummed. “I see… because the time is running out, of course…”

“Yes.”

“How long do you have left, Prompto?”

“Four days,” the smaller male answered automatically.

“Hmm… then we may just have to hurry, hm?”

“Yeah…”

“What does my time limit have to do with it?” Prompto questioned, confused.

“It’s traditional after an abdication for the new monarch to seek a mate, if they don’t already have one,” Noctis explained.

“That makes sense now,” Prompto nodded, smiling. “I’ll be with you every step of the way, Noct.”

Noctis allowed a smile, and Regis chuckled softly. “Yes… the council might have something to say about his origins, but in the end, the choice is yours, Noct.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Noctis chuckled.

“Same here,” the blonde grinned, but it faded as he asked: “Do they already know?”

“They don’t know all of it… but they will definitely have something to say about you not being from Insomnia…” Regis murmured, before he shook his head. “However, they will not be able to talk Noctis out of it.”

“Then that’s what matters,” Prompto smirked.

Regis nodded. “Alright. We’ll discuss this later. Both of you may return to your room.”

“Right. Thanks, Father.”

“Thank you, Regis,” Prompto smiled, before following Noctis back to his room.

 

As they reached the room, Noctis sighed. “Well… that was a thing…”

“Everything alright, Noct?” Gladio asked as Iris adjusted the pillow with the eggs carefully.

Prompto looked to Noctis, wanting him to explain.

“Yeah, everything’s alright,” Noctis said solemnly. “I’ll explain later, alright?”

“Right…” Gladio said with a nod, before gesturing for the bed. “Got some guys to patch things up in here. Shouldn’t be necessary… but hey.”

“Thanks, Gladio.”

“Thanks for watching over the eggs, guys,” Prompto added.

“Anytime, Prompto!” Iris giggled.

“No prob,” Gladio chuckled. “Right; let’s give these boys some space, Iris.”

“Right behind you, Gladdy,” the smaller brunette nodded with a smile, and she followed her brother out, closing the door behind them. Once they were gone, Prompto went over to the eggs to check them. Ever since they had almost been taken away again, he wanted to make sure they stayed safe.

Noctis came up behind him and gently wrapped his arms around the blonde’s shoulders.

And the smaller male looked back at him with a smile. “I’m glad things are starting to move along, ya know?”

Noctis smiled as he rubbed his fingers along the blonde’s shoulders. “Nervous?”

“Maybe a little, but I’m looking forward to a future together,” Prompto replied, his smile softening.

“Hmhmm…” Noctis hummed. “Shall we rest for a bit?”

“Yeah,” the blonde nodded, moving to settle down in the bed.

Noctis chuckled as he moved to lay down beside the blonde, the eggs in between them.

“I love you, Noct,” Prompto murmured as he reached a hand out and took the raven’s hand in his.

“I love you, too,” Noctis murmured softly, squeezing Prompto’s hand gently.

The blonde smiled warmly, before he slightly curved his tail so it partially wrapped around the eggs’ pillow.

Noctis smiled at the gesture, wrapping his other arm around the blonde’s shoulders. However, as he rested his head, though, his thoughts went back to the two Wyf that they had captured. Eventually, though, he shook it off and rested his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I redid the battle scene with Noctis and Ardyn, so now you all know what happened to our favorite most hated FF villain.


	29. Formation of the Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When everything moves along rapidly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in posting, but I've been really busy with work lately, so I had little time to work on the scenes I needed to work on. Hopefully, it'll go a little faster from here on.

_“Dad! I wanna go see Levi!” the young prince Noctis called out as he tugged on his father’s fin._

_Regis laughed at the young Mer’s “demand”. It wasn’t so odd for the young prince of Lucis to want to see Leviathan. The guardian of their seas had taken a shine to the young boy at an early age already, and the boy wasn’t any less enthralled with the giant sea serpent._

_“Alright, Noct; I’ll call Cor and ask him to take you, okay?”_

_“But I wanna go with **you** …” the smaller Mer whined, pouting._

_Regis sighed softly at the words, before he turned around and pulled Noctis up to his level. “I know, Noct, but I need to speak with the council about some important things. I promise I’ll catch up once I’m done here, okay?”_

_“…kay…” Noctis said with an unhappy pout, which he kept on his face even as Cor led him to Levi’s home. He knew Cor would stick around a bit more, but he wouldn’t come with the Prince inside. Levi didn’t like him as much, after all._

_When Noctis arrived, though, he was a bit surprised when he heard Levi shouting/roaring in anger, and she was trying to get to something behind a rock formation that had a hole too small for her to fit through. The small Prince tilted his head, wondering what that was about, but decided that he’d let her try and get it first before saying anything. Maybe a fish got in somewhere and she wanted to eat it?_

_But as she pulled back her muzzle and tried to shatter the rock, Noctis caught a terrified scream from behind the rocks, and that made him swim back in surprise, before he shot forward. “Levi! Stop!!” he shouted._

_Noct didn’t remember very well what he was saying then, but he thankfully got her to stop. Which allowed him to go over to the rock and peek around it. “You okay?”_

_There was no immediate response, but eventually, a small boy, maybe a little younger than Noct peeked out from behind the rock. He had light sand-colored hair, lighter than Iggy’s, and his eyes were the color of the rocks, which was a pretty weird color for eyes, but Noctis didn’t say anything about that. When he looked at Noct, he actually frowned, ducking a bit behind the rock._

_“…who are you?” he asked warily, obviously not trusting the Prince, despite him having saved the blonde._

_“You’re welcome,” Noctis grumbled out. “I coulda let Levi eat you, yanno?”_

_The boy bit his lip, and Noctis noticed the sharp teeth, but he didn’t think anything of it, really. He didn’t seem like a bad guy, so Noct wasn’t too worried._

_There was one thing he did remember his dad telling him, though; names shouldn’t be given away lightly, so he shouldn’t give his name willy-nilly._

_“I’m Nox. What’s your name?”_

_The other boy seemed to hesitate, before he mumbled, still as warily as before: “Vaan…”_

 

As the dream/memory slowly came to an end, Noctis woke up with a start, shooting up into a sitting position – abruptly bumping his head on the shell. “Gah!”

“Noct…?” Prompto mumbled, opening his eyes as he woke up. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay…” Noct hissed as he rubbed his head. “Ow… that smart.

“Were you dreaming?” the blonde asked.

“Remembering… to be honest…”

“What were you remembering?” Now genuinely curious, the smaller male sat up a bit so he could watch the raven as he spoke.

“That Wyf from yesterday… the one that can summon… his name is ‘Vaan’,” Noctis murmured. “I met him years ago at Levi’s home.”

“Wait, what? How did you meet him without him attacking you?” Prompto frowned.

“One moment,” Noct mumbled, pushing the shell open. “Better… Anyway, because we were both really young, I guess…”

“Really? How long ago was this?”

“About… 13 years ago, I think,” Noctis murmured.

“Wow… I’m surprised Levi let him in, though, considering he’s a Wyf,” Prompto commented.

“She almost ate him, actually, but he managed to stay out of her jaws for long enough for me to find him.”

“And what, you told her to leave him alone?”

“Kinda.”

“More like yelled at her, huh?” the blonde chuckled.

Noctis laughed. “Yeah.”

“Figured, especially when I remember how you had to yell at her to not drown me back then,” Prompto snickered.

The prince allowed a small smirk, before he sobered up as he pushed up from the mattress.

“So, what happened during your encounter with him?”

“…well… I taught him to summon.”

“What? Why?” the smaller male frowned, confused.

“…because?”

“Well, I hope you don’t get into too much trouble for it…” Prompto sighed.

“Not much to do about it now…” he mumbled, moving to the door. “You stay here, for now… I need to check something. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay,” the blonde nodded, curling himself around their eggs’ pillow once the raven had left.

 

“Sorry to bother you guys, Sora, Riku…” Noctis mumbled as he swam after the pair of Mer.

“It’s fine, Your Majesty,” Sora assured the prince with a small grin.

“It’s not like we have anything major going on,” Riku agreed with a chuckle.

Noctis nodded his head briefly as he followed after them. And finally, they arrived at one of the cells.

“…Are you sure about this, Your Majesty?” Riku asked, pausing.

“Yes, Riku, I’m sure,” the prince said with a nod as he moved over to the bars. As he looked through the bars, he spotted the two Wyf in the back of the room, chained to the wall, to ensure they wouldn’t be able to escape. Noctis had a feeling the pair would’ve been able to escape if they really wished to. “…Vaan?”

At the call, the youngest of the Wyf blinked, as he looked up curiously. “…huh?”

Sora frowned, curious, as he didn’t know how the prince could know the name of the summoning Wyf.

The Wyf watched Noctis with a small glare, as if expecting the Mer to suddenly attack them.

“…how do you…?”

“I’m assuming Levi let you go that day without any real problems, huh?”

“…!!”

Now Riku was confused, and he and Sora exchanged puzzled looks, wondering what was going on.

“Wait… you’re… Nox…?”

“Yeah… been a while, huh?”

“Your Majesty? You know him?” Sora blurted out, unable to help it.

“Yeah, I do,” Noctis admitted. “We’ve met before…”

“Wait, what?” Riku uttered this time, his expression confused as hell now.

“I’ll explain later,” Noctis murmured, before he turned back to Vaan as the Wyf swam up slightly from where he’d been ‘sitting’. “You got pretty good at summoning, huh?”

“Uh yeah,” Vaan mumbled, reaching up to scratch at his chin. “Wasn’t easy, though…”

“I can imagine… and I suspect that that’s why they got you enlisted, huh?” Noct guessed.

“…yeah, more or less…”

Sora and Riku watched, both bewildered at this point and a bit concerned for the prince.

“And this guy…” Noctis started, gesturing to the other Wyf, who still seemed to be asleep. “I assume he’s your brother, right? …Reks, was it?”

“Yeah… good memory…”

“I try.”

And even then, Sora and Riku kept quiet, despite all the questions they had.

“Sora,” Noctis said suddenly. “Can you open this door for me?”

“Um, sure, Your Majesty,” Sora nodded, before summoning his Keyblade and unlocking the cell door.

“Thank you,” the prince said with a nod, before he quietly moved into the cell toward where Vaan was at.

Riku nearly moved as though to ensure Noctis’s safety, but Sora put a hand to his chest, stopping him with a look.

As Noctis came into range of Vaan, the Wyf tilted his head curiously. The prince murmured something that the two Mer weren’t able to catch, before he moved down into a crouch, and Vaan did the same thing, reaching out to the other Wyf and shaking him by the shoulder. The taller Wyf groaned briefly, before he blinked awake, a bit confused – until he seemed to realize Noct was there and he almost cried out if Vaan hadn’t stopped him.

Sora watched intently, wondering just what the prince was doing. And he wasn’t alone, as Riku was wondering the same thing.

Once the other Wyf – Reks – had calmed down, he, too, settled in a crouch and the three of them became engrossed in a quiet conversation, as if they weren’t on two completely different sides of a war.

“What do you think is going on, Riku?” Sora asked his boyfriend quietly.

“Not sure, but it sounds like…His Majesty knows something about the summoning ability of that one Wyf,” Riku murmured back.

It took at least an hour before Noctis nodded his head, and the two Wyf returned the gesture, before the prince got back up and came back out from the cell.

“Are you all done in there, Your Majesty?” Sora inquired.

“I am,” Noctis confirmed.

“Shall we escort you back, then?” Riku offered.

“Yeah. I need to speak to Father…”

“We’ll take you to him, then,” the pair nodded in unison.

“Thank you,” Noctis said with a nod as Sora shut the door.

 

After splitting up with Sora and Riku, Noctis finally entered his father’s work room, a floor lower than their own actual rooms, and absently Noctis realized that, one day, this room would be _his_ to use. Which was a weird thought; he’d only ever seen his father work in this room, and the first few years of his life he wasn’t even allowed in there for fear he’d keep his father from getting any work done (Ignis’ fault, by the way).

His father was hard at work when he entered, and that wasn’t a big surprise. There was a lot of stuff going on, after all, especially with the two Wyf in their captivity.

Which brought him to the issue at hand…

“Dad?”

Regis looked up in surprise. He probably hadn’t heard him come in, which wasn’t that weird; his father tended to get really absorbed in his work sometimes. That, and Noctis didn’t call him “Dad” often anymore. Mostly when he knew they were alone, otherwise he tried to be as polite as possible.

“Noct? What brings you here, son?”

“Well… funny story there…” he started, even though there wasn’t anything really funny about it.

He took a heavy breath, and then, as he sat down on one of the seats, he began to speak about what he had recently remembered, starting from when he’d first met Vaan. His father didn’t interrupt and instead only listened as the Prince spoke of the young Wyf and explained just how Vaan had _actually_ learned to summon. Noct was already prepared to be yelled at, because teaching the art of summoning to a _Wyf_ would be considered high treason to many others.

Thankfully, his father wasn’t the same as ‘many others’.

“I see…” Regis murmured thoughtfully as he rubbed his finger along his beard. “So that’s where he’s from… and how he’s learned to summon…”

“Yeah…” Noctis admitted with a nod, as he curled his tail around the seat. He could tell his father wasn’t pleased with the fact he’d taught Vaan _that_ , but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. The only thing he could do now was to move on and deal with the hand they’d ended up with. “I know he’s a Wyf… and I know we’re enemies… but I don’t think he’s _bad_ , Dad…”

Regis hummed softly, deep in thought. However, Noctis was fairly certain that his father agreed with him. He’d met Vaan (albeit briefly) when he had come to pick up Noct. And while he had completely missed Noctis teaching Vaan to summon, he had spoken to him before they’d gone back home… and he’d not been opposed to Noct making friends with him.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t actually met up again afterward, and Noctis had never realized until then that Vaan had been a Wyf. He just hadn’t made the connection back then, and he hadn’t thought of Vaan in years.

“Yes. The little I’ve seen of him did not give the impression that he is a threat.” That was a relief… “…there is one problem, though…”

“…the council, right?”

“Precisely… we’ll need to consider how to ensure his survival… his and his brother’s.”

“Right…” Noctis sighed heavily. “I hope this will work out…”

“I’m sure it will…”  Regis nodded. “Anyway, there’s something else we need to discuss…” When Noctis regarded him in question for a moment, the King clarified. “The abdication.”

“Ugh… right… I almost forgot…” Noctis mumbled. “Do we have to talk about this _now?_ ”

“Much as you don’t want to, Noct, you know it’s inevitable.”

“…yeah, I know…” Noct sighed. “But… can we talk about this later? I promised Prompto I’d be right back…”

Regis hummed, considering it, but then he smiled. “I understand,” he said before he turned serious. “However, this needs to be addressed now.”

“Huh?”

“The council has already been preparing to locate a ‘proper mate’ for you.”

“What?! But I already—”

“I know, Noct… hence why I believe it may be better to not allow them the time to plan it in.”

“…Wait… you mean you… want to do this as soon as possible?”

“Yes. However, I wanted to discuss this with you before bringing this up at the meeting later today. If possible, I want you two to be there, to make a statement with the council.”

Noctis frowned at those words. As much as he didn’t want to think about it, he _knew_ this had been coming and, given the recent events, it was only logical for things to be pushed into motion so quickly. And if the council was really aiming to control things from the sidelines, which wouldn’t even be that strange, then yes, he’d have to take that advantage away from them.

“…right. That… would be best,” he agreed quietly. “When is the meeting?”

“It should begin shortly after breakfast… but it should allow you some time for training.”

Noctis nodded in understanding. “Right… we’ll be there.”

“Good. You may go.”

“Thank you…”

 

While all that was going on, Prompto was still coiled around the eggs’ pillow, watching over them. As he stared at them, he absently wondered what they would look like when they finally hatched.

“You’ll probably look more like Noct,” he murmured quietly. He was assuming they would be based off the color of the eggs matching their ‘mother’s’ tail and hair color. “Wait until you have your younger siblings, though. They’ll probably be like miniature versions of me.” At this, he chuckled. He had to admit, he was a little nervous of having to lay eggs, but he knew it would be well worth it in the long run.

Just then, the door opened and Noctis swam back into the room. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Prompto greeted, before pouting. “You took a while. Thought you’d be right back…”

“Yeah, sorry… took a little longer than expected,” Noctis apologized.

The blonde huffed a little, before he propped himself up on his elbows. “What happened?”

“Had to speak to my father about Vaan and his brother.”

“And what did he have to say?”

“Well, he obviously wasn’t too thrilled about what I did… but he knows Vaan isn’t a bad guy, really,” Noctis explained as he settled on the bed.

“So, what, are Vaan and his brother just stuck here, then?” the smaller male questioned, looking up at his lover. “After all, it’s not like they can be released, right?”

“Yeah… that’s the tricky part… can’t stay here, but if we let them go, they’ll be executed as traitors,” Noctis admitted.

“So what’s gonna happen to them?”

“Still up for debate… but we’ll think of something…”

“I hope so. If you say Vaan’s not a bad guy, then he doesn’t deserve to be executed,” Prompto murmured.

“Yeah…”

Prompto placed a hand on Noctis’s tail where his thigh would have been if he’d had legs. “I’m sure everything will work out somehow.”

“I sure hope so…” Noctis murmured as he moved to lay down on his back for a moment. The blonde was quick to cuddle up to him, his tail still curved around the pillow, though. It took a bit for Noctis to notice this, but when he did, he smirked. “Well someone got protective all of a sudden…”

“Hey, ever since that Weiz tried to take them again, I don’t want anything to happen…” Prompto pouted.

Smiling softly, Noctis turned on his side and wrapped his arms around the blonde.

The smaller male hummed contently in his lover’s hold, before he spoke up again. “I _did_ manage to slice some of her tentacles, though. Thanks for the dagger.”

That made the prince laugh softly, pressing his forehead to Prompto’s. “Anytime…” he murmured, rubbing his back.

The blonde remained quiet for a few moments, before asking, “So, how long will it take for me to form eggs and then lay them? I’m curious.”

“About 3 days,” Noctis said calmly.

“So it’s gonna be a couple days before you have your wicked way with me, huh?” Prompto snickered.

Noct chuckled. “Problem?”

“Nah. I just hope _you_ can wait that long,” the smaller male replied with a cheeky grin.

“You worry too much,” Noctis murmured, tapping Prompto to his nose, before he shut his eyes with a small sigh.

“You okay?”

“Yeah…”

“Still tired, huh?”

“Mmm… little bit.”

“Then let’s rest for a bit. After all, I’m not going anywhere. Don’t exactly have this place memorized, anyway,” Prompto chuckled.

“Mm… kay…”

The blonde snuggled a bit closer, wrapping his arms around Noctis so they were holding each other. “Love you,” he murmured.

“…love you too…”

 

Later on, there was a knock at the door, waking the pair, followed by Iris’ voice calling through it.

“Morning, guys! Time for breakfast! And Noctis, Gladdy’s gonna be working with you afterwards,” she told them.

Noctis groaned as he pushed himself up, rubbing at his eyes. “Yeah, okay…” he called out.

Prompto grumbled as he sat up as well, mumbling: “Too tired to be woken like that…”

“Sorry guys, but otherwise you’ll hear it from Ignis if you’re late for breakfast,” Iris giggled, before she left.

 “She’s got a point, there,” Noctis chuckled out.

“Yeah, yeah,” the blonde sighed. “So, you gotta train with Gladio after breakfast, then?”

“Yep.”

“Mind if I watch?”

“If you want, sure.”

“Yeah, I do. Never seen you use a sword,” the smaller male pointed out. “I’ve only seen you with it, but not using it.”

Noctis chuckled. “True… Alright; let’s go.”

Prompto smiled as he started to follow Noctis, before he paused. “What about the eggs?”

Noctis gestured for the window, which was shut. “If you close the shell, it’ll be okay. I highly doubt they’ll come again so soon after.”

“Okay,” the blonde nodded before closing the shell, and then rejoining his lover. “Let’s go.”

Nodding, the prince led the way down toward the dining room. Prompto followed, and once they were there, he took his usual spot beside the raven. Once he was seated, Noctis stretched his arms briefly above his head before leaning back in his seat.

Prompto smiled at Noctis, wondering idly how he got so lucky to have encountered such an amazing person the way he did.

“Morning,” a familiar voice called out, and Noctis smiled as Ignis came over.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“Morning, Ignis,” Prompto greeted.

Nodding, Ignis passed the two boys their breakfast. Looked like it was that eel thing again from the day before, which wasn’t bad, really.

“Thanks, Noct said with a nod as he quietly got started on his breakfast.

“Thank you,” the blonde added, beginning to eat as well.

They spent most of breakfast silently; the Mer didn’t seem very inclined to speak during mealtimes, as Prompto had noticed not just with Noctis, but Gladio, Iris, and even Regis. As Noctis speared another piece of eel, though, he did seem to be lost in his thoughts somewhat. Deciding to wait until breakfast was over to check on Noctis, Prompto left it alone for now.

Breakfast took maybe a total of ten minutes. It was hard to tell, since the Mer didn’t appear to have any sort of clocks anywhere, but it felt like ten minutes.

“Right… let’s go, then,” Noct said once they’d both finished.

“Hey, Noct?” Prompto murmured as they got up. “You okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, why?”

“You looked deep in thought at breakfast, is all,” the blonde remarked.

“I’m just…” Noctis paused the sigh as he began to swim, Prompto close behind. “Just thinking about the future, I guess…”

“Oh? Wanna talk about it?” Prompto inquired.

“Just… everything, really,” Noct admitted. “I always knew I’d eventually have to take over for Father… but now that it’s here… well… everything’s just going so fast.”

“I know, but I’ll be with you every step of the way, so at least you have support,” the smaller male pointed out.

Noctis smiled. “I know…” he said, before they came to the training room that Prom remembered from when he’d first met Gladio as a Mer.

“Yo, Gladio!” Noct shouted.

“You’re late,” the burly Mer chuckled.

“Aw, lighten up! Breakfast is important!” Prompto laughed. He then looked at Noctis. “I’ll wait on the sidelines.”

Noctis snorted, but he was definitely smirking, even as he swam further into the room, summoning an intricate sword in his hand.

The blonde watched from the side, his eyes wide with interest.

Gladio chuckled as he readied his own broadsword. Anyone seeing this setup would worry for Noct’s safety; the prince was much smaller in stature than Gladio, and there was really no doubt that Gladio could probably mop the floor with anyone if he’d been on land. However, in the span of a second, Noctis launched himself at Gladio and their blades connected with a loud clang.

Prompto’s jaw dropped, and he was suddenly very interested in seeing how this would turn out. Because despite how much force was behind Gladio’s swings, which definitely would’ve shattered the arms of anyone else trying to block them, Noct parried and countered them almost easily, darting around the taller Mer with well-times swings of his tail. There were definitely times that Prompto was sure Gladio had Noctis cornered, but every time Noctis seemed to _warp_ out of range and appeared next to Gladio.

Wondering how the raven did the warping thing, Prompto made a mental note to ask him afterwards. As Noctis warped once again, he was barely able to lift his sword to block the incoming swing, before he parried and knocked the sword right out of Gladio’s hand.

“Hah!”

Prompto gave a pleased grin, happy that Noctis had won.

“Heh, not bad, kiddo,” Gladio quipped as Noctis dismissed his weapon. “Looks like being up there hasn’t done anything to ya, huh?”

“If anything, it’s _easier_ here…” Noct pointed out. “My body was so heavy on land it was difficult to move properly sometimes.”

Prompto rolled his eyes a little, but had to admit Noctis had a point. And Gladio laughed as he smacked Noct on the back, sending the prince forward a bit, though Noct was laughing just as hard before he went over to Prompto.

“How’d you do the warping thing?” Prompto asked once the raven had gotten close.

“Huh…? Oh that? I just so,” Noct offered with a shrug.

“Pretty cool,” the smaller male chuckled. “Kinda jealous, actually.”

Noctis chuckled as he swam off down the halls.

“H-hey! Wait up!” Prompto yelped, before darting after him.

Noctis laughed as he paused so that Prompto could catch up before moving ahead again. And the blonde was quick to follow, not wanting to get lost.

“…hey,” Noct suddenly mumbled. “Been meaning to say this… but it might be best for Father’s abdication to be held tomorrow.”

“Really? So…what does that mean for us?” Prompto asked as he looked at the raven.

“…what that means is…” Noctis said as he stopped outside a door that Prompto had never been to before. And as he pushed it open, he finished: “That we’re meeting the council,” after which he grabbed Prompto’s hand and swam inside.

“Wait, what?!” the smaller male yelped as he was dragged inside.

The moment they were inside, the conversation that had been underway ceased and all eyes were immediately upon them. Noctis didn’t seem to care about this, as he ignored the looks and just swam to the far end of the room where his father was sitting, and had apparently been waiting.

Prompto felt a bit nervous, to say the least, as he was led over to Regis, and didn’t exactly enjoy all the stares on him. As they moved through the room, Noctis lightly squeezed his hand, even though he didn’t look over. When he finally stopped by his father, he nodded briefly, before he turned to face the remaining Mer in the room. And as they settled there, Prompto remained where he was by Noctis’s side, unsure of what to do when surrounded by so many people. In the end, he just chose to be quiet and listen.

“I assume training went well, Noctis?” Regis began calmly, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary to Noctis coming into a meeting so late with someone that the council had never seen before.

“Yes, Father,” Noctis said with a nod.

“Good,” Regis said with a nod.

The blonde didn’t say anything, as he wasn’t sure if he even _should_ say anything. He was getting a bit worried about the council’s looks at him, though.

“So…” one of the Mer to Regis’ right said, “this is the boy Gladiolus spoke of?”

Noctis nodded his head quietly, and Prompto perked up, knowing he was being talked about.

The man hummed softly as he regarded Prompto for a moment more. “Hmm… he does seem to have seen some combat, certainly…”

The smaller male kept his mouth shut, knowing he really shouldn’t correct the older Mer about his stretch marks from when he was younger. If the Mer interpreted them as “battle scars” and this was accepted, who was he to correct them?

Noctis looked over to Prom from the corner of his eyes, as if sensing the blonde’s insecurity and anxiety, lightly squeezing his hand softly.

“Be that as it may,” one of the other men said suddenly, a dark frown on his face, “it’s unthinkable to expect the people to accept a Mer from unknown origins as the Princes Consort.”

Prompto immediately wanted to protest, but wisely managed to keep quiet, despite frowning irritably. Noctis, similarly, said nothing, as he moved to interlace their fingers.

“I see no reason for it to pose a problem,” another Mer said, “after all, he’s already aided us in returning Prince Noctis safely to Insomnia. I would consider that to make him worthy of consideration.”

This caused the blonde to relax slightly, but he was still a bit on edge.

“This is not merely about what _we_ find acceptable,” the Mer from before stated with a small snarl. “The people will surely not accept one such as him.”

Frowning, Noctis squeezed Prompto’s hand, and from the way he was clenching his jaw, it was clear he was itching to speak up, but, like Prompto, he held his tongue.

‘ _Fucking bullshit,_ ’ Prompto growled in his mind, becoming frustrated with the stubborn Mer.

“So you say, but…”

At that point, the other members of the council finally began to join the conversation, and it ended up being a mish-mash of sound. Noctis sighed as he looked to Prompto with his head slightly tilted. The blonde, however, copied the motion by sighing quietly.

“Didn’t think there would be this much trouble,” he whispered.

“It happens…” Noctis whispered back with a small sigh.

“What do we do?”

“Right now? We wait and see if they can reach a conclusion… without interference.”

“Let’s just hope they approve,” Prompto muttered bitterly.

“Like that’s gonna stop us…” Noct murmured softly.

“True, but still…”

Noctis didn’t say anything in response; he merely squeezed the blonde’s hand softly but firmly. The smaller male squeezed back, returning his focus to the council.

Unfortunately, as they waited and watched, the council seemed unable to reach a unanimous decision. After a moment more, Noctis sighed softly and turned to his father. Regis regarded the council in silence as well, before he looked to his son as well. Neither of the two royals said a word, but it seemed like they were conversing silently.

Finally, though, Regis turned his attention to the council. “Whether they accept his origins or not,” he said calmly, causing all council members to fall silent, “they will not be able to change my son’s mind.”

Prompto resisted the urge to firmly nod in satisfaction, instead waiting to hear the council’s reaction. And Noctis remained silent as well, even as the council (half of them, anyway) were less than receptive about the idea. However, before they could say too much else, Regis had already interrupted them.

“Also, it would inconsiderate to force Prompto to break off all contact with the other parent of their children.”

Prompto stilled, hoping the news wouldn’t bring everything to chaos.

However, that was exactly what happened, as the council began to talk and shout over each other, both for and against the situation.

“Go figure…” Noctis murmured.

“Man… Why can’t things just be simple?” the blonde grumbled.

“If only…” Noct mumbled.

“Well, now what?”

“Just let Father handle it…”

“Kay…”

Regis waited for a while longer, before he leaned back and, without warning, slammed his hand down on the table, instantly silencing everyone in the room. Even Prompto jumped a little, startled by the sudden noise.

“Enough,” Regis said firmly. “This is not a matter that is up for debate. It was your wish to speed things along. Therefore, you have no reason to not accept my son’s choice in a life partner.”

The blonde resisted the urge to give a smug grin, grateful for Regis’s words. And he could tell that Noctis was just as grateful, despite how he had likely expected the words from the King.

While half the council seemed less than pleased about this news, those that were in favor of Prompto staying nodded in agreement, which included the man who had spoken up first upon their entry. Once Regis was sure there would be no more arguments against, the King hummed firmly and said: “Now that we are in agreement on this, I believe it’s time to close this debate.”

The smaller male glanced at Noctis, pleased by Regis’s firm decision. And Noctis gave him a small smirk in return, though he dropped it soon after.

“Now then,” Regis began, “I have already discussed this matter with my son, but it is our belief that it better to hold the abdication tomorrow evening.”

“Oh?” the man from before asked. “And His Highness is in agreement?”

“…I am,” Noctis said solemnly.

Prompto mentally braced himself, hoping nothing bad would come of the suggestion.

As expected, there were several people who disagreed with the notion, but they seemed to realize that it was useless to object to the King’s words, especially since the Prince seemed to have no problem with the swift abdication. Something that neither Noctis or Prompto had any objections to.

“…Very well. If there are no further points to be made, then this meeting is adjourned.

The tension in the blonde’s shoulders melted away at the words, and he slumped forward a little in relief.

With that said, the council quickly disbanded, aside from the man who had spoken up first.

“Well, I must say,” the man said once all others had left, “that may have been the most divided I’ve ever seen them.”

Regis laughed at those words. “Yes, I would think so.”

The man allowed a cheeky smirk before he turned to the Mer at Noct’s side. “Your name is Prompto, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Prompto nodded, turning a bit to face the older Mer

The man nodded with a chuckle. “Well it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Clarus. I’m sure we’ll meet more often in the future.”

“Thank you,” the smaller male smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease with this council member.

“Anyway,” Noctis said after a moment, “I’m assuming Ignis is already busy preparing for tomorrow?”

Regis chuckled. “That he is, yes.”

“Not surprised.”

“What are _you_ gonna have to do to prepare, Noct? Anything?” Prompto asked.

Noctis hummed in thought before he looked at his father. The old Mer nodded his head solemnly, and Noct returned the gesture quietly. “We’re gonna have to do _some_ stuff to prepare, yeah. C’mon,” he said, proceeding to tug Prompto along.

The blonde chuckled as he was practically dragged after his lover, wondering what they were going to do.

 

As they went, Noctis completely ignored the servants that were swimming around rapidly, probably on orders of Ignis to prepare for tomorrow. He just continued to guide Prompto along down the halls into an area they’d not been before.

“Where are we going, Noct?” Prompto asked after a bit of silence between them.

“You’ll see.”

“Aww! I hate when you keep it a secret!” the smaller male whined with a pout.

Noctis merely laughed as he continued along. And finally, they entered a large, circular room, filled with what looked millions of little fish, as well as a number of huge anemones.

“Whoa… What is this place…?” Prompto breathed in awe.

“This is… …you know what? You try it!” Noctis laughed as he pushed Prompto further into the room.

The blonde yelped as he was pushed, causing a bunch of the fish to scatter. However, barely a few seconds after, the fish all came swimming back and started moving along Prompto’s skin with their tiny mouths.

Immediately, Prompto burst into a giggling fit at the tickling sensation of the fish basically cleaning him. Noctis laughed as he joined the blonde, the fish going to him as well and starting to nibble along the dead skin, though his laughter was in response to Prompto’s, rather than the fish nibbling along the skin.

“H-holy shit, that t-tickles!” the blonde laughed out, and he knew that if they’d been on land, he would have fallen on his ass from laughing so hard

“Really? I couldn’t tell,” Noctis chuckled out.

Prompto tried to pout at Noctis for the teasing remark, but couldn’t stop laughing long enough to do so.

After what felt like a short eternity, the fish finally let up and began swimming away from them.

“Phew!” Prompto sighed once he’d caught his breath. “Jeez, you coulda warned me first, Noct!” he pouted, but then smiled anyway.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Noctis laughed out.

The smaller male rolled his eyes before grinning. “I gotta admit, it felt good,” he chuckled. “So that’s basically a Mer’s shower, huh?”

“Basically, yeah,” Noct confirmed, before he moved down to the anemones.

“And what do the anemones do?” Prompto questioned as he followed.

“One way to find out, huh?” Noctis quipped as he moved down, allowing their sinewy strands to move along his tail.

The blonde lowered himself as well, and let the anemones do the same as the fish had, only with his own tail this time. And fortunately, it wasn’t a ticklish experience like with the fish. Noctis hummed quietly as the anemones cleaned their tails, lightly swaying the limb to keep himself in place.

Prompto copied Noctis’s movement, before he asked: “What else do you need to do to prepare, Noct?”

“Well, for us, we mostly have to prepare mentally. Ignis will likely take care of the actual preparation himself,” Noctis said calmly.

“Prepare mentally?”

“Well, it won’t do to be a nervous wreck when going through the abdication or the bonding, right?”

“Oh, there’s a bonding ceremony or something?” Prompto asked, blinking in surprise.

“Yeah,” Noctis said as he finally moved away from the anemone. “It’s meant to introduce the new King or Queen’s partner to the people of Insomnia. Normally it takes place a few days after the abdication or coronation, but I’m going to assume Iggy’s gonna plan them back to back, to prevent the council from getting me out of bonding with you.”

“Ah, okay,” Prompto murmured. He wasn’t really sure about everyone’s eyes on him, as he was never fully comfortable with being the center of attention, even back as a kid.

“It’ll be okay,” Noctis said calmly, as he tugged Prompto up. “For all everyone knows you’re a Mer as much as anyone else. It won’t matter to anyone where you’re from.”

“I know, just nervous of being the center of attention,” the blonde mumbled. “Never been a fan of that…”

Noctis smiled as he moved over and briefly kissed Prompto. “You’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Thanks, I’ll probably be nervous regardless, but as long as I’m with you, I’ll be okay,” Prompto smiled lightly.

“C’mon; let’s head back up for now, kay?”

“Sounds good,” the smaller male nodded, swimming after Noctis to his room. And the raven just smiled as he moved along the halls ahead of the blonde.

As they went, Prompto wondered just _when_ the news would come out about his origins, because he really wasn’t looking forward to the council ever learning the truth, as he was nervous of any backlash it would bring.

Noctis didn’t seem to notice the blonde’s worries, as he headed into their room, moving over to the bed quietly.

Once the smaller male had joined him on the bed with their eggs after the shell was lifted again, he murmured: “…Hey, Noct? Do you think I’ll eventually have to tell everyone about my origins?”

At that, Noctis hummed softly, even as he opened up the shell and moved over to settle next to the eggs. “I don’t think so… there’s not really a point, is there?”

“True, just curious since I told Tidus, Sora, and Roxas about it, is all,” Prompto admitted as he curled around the eggs’ pillow.

“It’ll probably be on a need to know basis,” Noctis said. “It’s not important,” he murmured as he laid down as well.

“Good,” the blonde sighed in relief, settling down. “I’d rather not just announce it to everyone, anyway.”

“Hmhmm,” Noctis hummed, curling his tail along the pillow’s edge as well.

“So, you ready for tomorrow, then?”

“I am, are you?”

“Of course. I’m ready to be with you until the end of time, and even then, you’re not got get rid of me that easily,” Prompto grinned.

Noctis smiled warmly as he reached out and wrapped his arm around the blonde. And Prompto snuggled closer, keeping his tail around the pillow.

“…you’re really attached to them already, huh?” Noctis teased.

“Can’t blame me. Never thought I’d have kids at all before this,” Prompto shrugged.

Noctis smiled softly as he rested his forehead against Prompto’s. “If you say so…”

“I do say so,” the blonde chuckled, humming happily at the contact.

“Hmmm…” After a moment, Noctis murmured, “Let’s rest up for a bit, kay?”

“Kay,” Prompto nodded, settling further in bed. “Love you, Noct…”


	30. Long Live the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All hail the King of Insomnia.

The rest of the day passed by in somewhat of a blur, with Prompto and Noctis mostly just lazing around in the prince’s room. There were, however, instances where they were up for long enough to consider the events of the morning after, and the day of the abdication… and incidentally Noctis’ coronation. Ignis dropped by at one point to drop off some documents for Noctis to look over, and the prince did this without a word of complaint.

And when morning came, finally, Noctis was actually awake well before Prompto, quietly reading through those same documents in silence at his desk.

“Reading through them again, huh?” the blonde commented as he pushed himself up on the bed.

Noctis briefly looked up, before he nodded and turned back to reading.

Prompto pouted a little at the lack of a verbal response, before swimming over to his lover. “What is all this stuff, anyway? You never really told me before.”

“Just looking through the Crystalline Melody…” Noctis murmured. “I’ve never actually heard it performed before…”

“What’s the Crystalline Melody?” the smaller male inquired, curious.

“Ah, the new ruler’s required to sing this song upon their coronation to prove their worth both to the Crystal and to the people of Insomnia,” Noctis explained calmly. “The Crystal reads the ruler’s feelings through the song to determine if they’re worthy of leading Insomnia.”

“Geez… Sounds tough,” Prompto remarked.

The prince hummed softly, before he turned back to the scroll again.

“I’ll let ya focus,” the blonde smiled slightly, before returning to the bed and curling around their eggs’ pillow with a content noise.

Noctis looked back briefly, watching Prompto as he settled around the eggs. A small smile spread over his face as he turned back to the scroll. He had to make sure he got it right, after all.

 

“Man, I’m not sure how I feel ‘bout this one…” Tidus admitted as watched the scrolls to check their planned positions for the abdication.

Roxas looked at him oddly. “What are you talking about?”

“I dunno… it’s just kinda weird, yanno?” Tidus mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. “I grew up here knowing only King Regis as ruler… it’s just… weird to see him hand things over to Prince Noctis… yanno?”

“…idiot,” Leon mumbled softly.

“Hey!”

“Now what are calling him an idiot for, Leon?” Sora asked, quirking a brow.

“It’s stupid to think one ruler will watch over Insomnia forever… sooner or later the mantle will be passed on…”

Cecil sighed softly, shaking his head, but he chose not to involve himself in the conversation at this point.

“Well, Tidus has a point. Definitely gonna be different,” Riku commented.

“But Leon’s right. ‘Sides, I highly doubt that much would change with Prince Noctis taking over,” Axel shrugged.

“…hm…” was Cloud’s only response to the entire thing.

“Well… at least we won’t have to worry about the next line, huh?” Tidus chuckled softly.

“Definitely,” Roxas and Sora chuckled.

“So hey…” Tidus murmured, his tone getting slightly conspiring. “You guys think it’ll stay at two or…?”

“No way. The way they are together, I know there’s gonna be many more to come,” Roxas laughed.

Cecil coughed a little at the words, before he murmured: “Perhaps we should focus more on the actual planning rather than speculation…”

Tidus regarded him for a moment, before he smirked. “What do you think, Cecil?”

“Pardon…?”

“How many more do _you_ think they’ll have?”

“…I am not joining this conversation.”

“Aw, come on! Don’t be a downer!” Sora snickered.

“Hey, we should all place bets on how many there’s gonna be!” Tidus suddenly said, causing Cecil to splutter in alarm.

“Good idea!” Axel cackled. “I say at least eight, including the ones they have now!”

“Definitely thirteen,” Roxas chimed in. “They’re really close, after all.”

“I’ll say…eleven,” Sora giggled.

“Oh, fine. I’ll say fourteen,” Riku chuckled.

“I’ll go twelve,” Tidus said with a grin, before he turned to Cloud. “What do you think, man?”

“…not interested.”

“Aww, Cloud! Come on!” Sora pressed.

But the tall blonde refused to say anything else, and Leon snorted, obviously not about to join the betting, either.

“What are you doing?” a familiar voice called out, and the group of betters jumped in alarm as they turned to Nyx.

“Nothing!” Tidus said swiftly. “Nothing at all!”

“We’re just checking out the plans for later today,” Axel lied smoothly.

Nyx regarded the group for a moment, taking in their behavior, but he didn’t seem to find anything out of place, so he just hummed. “Alright. Just make sure you don’t overexert yourselves. Understood?”

“Yes sir!”

Nyx nodded briefly, before he swam off to check on the others.

Roxas and Sora leaned against their respective boyfriends, all four sighing in relief that they hadn’t gotten caught.

“Maaaan… that was close…” Tidus breathed out.

Cecil sighed softly. “Now then… shall we continue as we were, then?”

“Yeah, sure…”

“Fine…” Sora groaned, squealing when Riku ruffled his hair playfully and making his brother and the redhead by his side laugh.

 

While all that was going on, the Citadel was a bustle of activity, with servants rushing around to prepare for the upcoming abdication and coronation.

“Iris, would you mind assisting me with this?” Ignis asked of the shorter Mer as he adjusted his hold on some of the decorations.

“Sure thing, Ignis!” the brunette smiled brightly, swimming over and taking some of the decorations from the sandy blonde’s arms.

As they moved to position the decorations into their required position, Ignis asked: “Have you spoken to Noct, yet?”

“No, not yet. He’s been in his room with Prompto this whole time,” she answered with a small shrug. “Why?”

“No reason in particular,” Ignis admitted. “I’m merely worried that Noctis might be thinking too deeply on things.

“Why do you think that?”

“You know he tends to worry too much on things sometimes… even if he tries not to show it much.”

“Do you think one of us should talk to him, then?” she asked, concerned.

“That might be wise, yes.”

“Which one should talk to him, then?”

“Perhaps you should go. I still have to oversee some things here.”

“Sounds good. Mind if I go now?” Iris asked a they finished putting up the decoration.

“Go ahead,” Ignis confirmed.

“I’ll be back soon!” she smiled, before swimming off for Noctis’s room.

 

Noctis, by now, was humming softly in a tune that Prompto had never heard before, but he didn’t sing. Possibly because he wanted to save his voice for the coronation, which was fine. But at the same time, Prompto was a bit sad he wouldn’t get to hear the other Mer sing until later that day.

Just then, though, there was a knock on the door.

“Hm? Enter.”

“Hey Noctis,” Iris greeted as she came in. “Hi Prompto.”

“Hi Iris,” the blonde smiled from the bed.

“Hey,” Noctis said as he turned to face her properly. “Something up?”

“Can I talk to you alone?” she asked.

“Hm?” Though he was a bit surprised at the question, the prince shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, sure.” As he got up, he turned to Prompto and said: “I’ll be right back, kay?”

“And you know where I’ll be,” the blonde chuckled, settling back down.

Noctis chuckled as he headed out of the room with Iris. Once the door had closed behind them, Noctis asked: “Is here okay?”

“No, let’s go somewhere a bit more private,” she replied, shaking her head a little.

“Huh… okay, sure,” Noctis said as he followed her down the hall. Once they were in one of the empty rooms, Noctis asked: “So… what’s up?”

“Are you nervous?” the brunette asked.

Noctis regarded her for a moment, before he sighed softly. “Maybe a little… but I’m sure it’ll be fine…”

“Everything will be just fine,” she reassured him with a warm smile. “The people will definitely accept you as the new monarch.”

Those words caught Noct off guard for a moment, before he smiled warmly. “Thanks, Iris.”

“Anytime, Noctis,” she giggled. “Figured you could use some words of encouragement.”

Noctis laughed softly, a small smile on his face. “Yeah… I probably did,” he chuckled. “I should get back to practice, though… See you at the abdication, okay?”

“I’ll see you then,” she smiled, before leaving back to Ignis.

Noctis smiled as he went back to his and Prompto’s room. As he entered, he said: “I’m back.”

“Hey,” Prompto smiled, before tilting his head curiously. “What did Iris have to say?”

“Ah… just some things about the abdication’s planning, that’s all,” Noctis said with a smile as he moved over.

“All right. Going back to your practice, huh?” the blonde guessed, resting his head on his arms.

“In a moment,” Noctis murmured as he placed a hand on one of the eggs hiding under the blanket.

This caused Prompto to perk up a little, watching the raven curiously. After a moment, Noctis smiled and grabbed Prompto’s hand, placing his on the other egg. When he did that, Prompto watched their hands on the eggs, wondering what Noctis was thinking.

Just then, though, there was a sudden push against his palm.

The smaller male nearly yelped, before his eyes widened, and he looked at his lover in awe. But Noctis merely smiled softly, lightly squeezing the blonde’s hand.

“They’re already moving?” Prompto breathed.

“Yeah…”

That word was followed by another push.

“Wow…” the blonde whispered. “I know in human pregnancies, the baby doesn’t start kicking until almost halfway through it.”

Noctis merely chuckled as he removed his hands. “It’s not so weird here,” he pointed out, before he moved back to his desk.

“True. Just pleasantly surprised, I guess,” Prompto shrugged, curling back up with their eggs once he’d also removed his hands.

And the prince merely chuckled softly, before he went back to practicing.

 

“You’re sure you’ve got the melody right?” Ignis asked as he helped Noctis in securing the gem-studded necklace around his neck.

“Yeah, I’ve got it,” Noctis murmured as he secured the dark gauntlets around his wrists.

Prompto watched, admiring the look the accessories provided to the raven. The gauntlets he was wearing appeared to be made of some sort of metal, but the color was definitely off, and Prompto wasn’t sure if it really was a metal anyway, given the lack of corrosion on them. Added to that, they were also studded with gems that Prompto had never seen on land, making him wonder if they were exclusive to life underwater, and if so, how had they been able to shape them into the shape they wanted?

Once the gauntlets and necklace were in place, Noctis picked up a pair of fin-like ornaments of the same material, and carefully attached them to the shells of his ears, making it seem like he had actual fins for ears. They weren’t real, but they certainly _looked_ real. On top of that, it also made him look good.

Ignis nodded his approval at the prince’s look once he had properly secured the fins. “Good. I will send Leon and Cloud for you once we’re ready.”

“Sounds good,” Noctis said with a nod, before Ignis left.

“Doing okay?” the smaller male asked once Ignis was gone.

“Yeah,” Noctis said as he turned the gauntlets briefly to get used to the feeling of them around his wrists.

“I’ll be honest, you look good with that stuff on,” Prompto admitted with a chuckle.

“Ah… thanks,” Noctis said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The blonde then gained a nervous look. “I’m kinda nervous still, though…y’know, for when I’ll be up there with you…”

Noctis was quiet for a moment, before he moved over and abruptly kissed him softly. “It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Kay,” Prompto nodded, smiling slightly.

As Noctis moved back, there was a firm knock on the door. Noctis looked over, recognizing the pattern, before he called out; “Enter.”

And sure enough, as the door opened, Cloud and Leon were on the other side of the door… as well as Roxas and Tidus.

“Hi Prompto,” Roxas greeted with a smile. “Tidus and I are here to get you ready.”

“Ready?” Prompto repeated, a bit confused.

“Yep. Can’t go to a ceremony without the proper gear, right?” Tidus said with a small grin.

Noctis chuckled softly, looking at Prompto. “You’ll be fine, Prom.”

“I know. I’ll see you soon, right?” the smaller male asked.

“Of course,” Noctis said with a nod, before he quietly swung his tail, following Cloud and Leon as they led him off without a word.

Tidus chuckled as they left, before turning to Prompto. “Ready to go, man?”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, and then followed the other two blondes out.

As they went along the hall, Tidus suddenly turned to Prompto casually. “You doing okay, dude?”

“Yeah, a little nervous, but that’s to be expected, right?” Prompto replied.

“I’d say it is,” Roxas agreed.

“No kidding…” Tidus murmured, before they ducked into a different room. “Here we go.”

“So, what are we doing?” Prompto questioned of the two Kingsglaive.

“You’ll see,” Roxas smirked.

“Oy Rox! Catch!” Tidus called out as he tossed a pair of gauntlets over toward the smaller Glaive.

Roxas caught the gauntlets with ease, before slipping them onto Prompto’s wrists. The human-turned-Mer noticed these ones were thinner than Noctis’s, and were studded with light green gems, but they were still made of the same material. Which, for the record, felt very smooth as it moved along his skin

After a bit of searching through the items there, Tidus swam over and easily slipped on a disc-like necklace with a number of gems with various shades of green around the human-turned-Mer’s neck, which effectively covered the majority of his collarbone. This made it bigger than Noct’s, and at the same time, there were thin veils that were shaped like fins that floated down along his back. Those kind of tickled.

While Tidus made sure the necklace was secured properly, Roxas went back to where Tidus had retrieved the accessories, grabbing a pair of earfins and then returning to Prompto’s side, helping him put them on. As Roxas worked on those, Tidus grabbed one more item, which looked like another gauntlet, but it was much bigger than the others. But before Prompto could ask, Tidus clipped the item shut around the end of his tail, near his fin, before he slipped it up so it fit snuggly around the scaled limb.

“There we go,” Tidus said with a grin.

“So…this is traditional, I take it?” Prompto asked, and Roxas laughed a little.

“For Insomnia, yeah,” Tidus chuckled with a grin. “Back in Zanarkand, we were a lot flashier with these kinda things.”

“Really?” the smaller male blinked, surprised. “Mind telling me about Zanarkand while we wait?”

“Hm?” Tidus cocked his head, before he seemed to consider it. It took a few minutes before he actually decided to speak up about it, though. “…Well, not much to say… it was always moving; never sleeping. There was always something happening, so it was a bit difficult to sleep sometimes…”

“Sounds like a busy place,” Prompto remarked. “Reminds me almost of where I had my place.”

“Yeah, it was pretty busy…” Tidus admitted.

“What was it like where you lived, Prompto?” Roxas asked, genuinely curious.

“Oh, Lestallum? Kinda like Zanarkand, but a bit less busy. It was mainly women who did a lot of the manual labor there, but I found my niche doing other stuff,” Prompto told them.

“Really?” Tidus asked, curious. “Huh… that’s new.”

“Yeah,” Roxas nodded. “What did you do there?”

“Ah, I did work for people by taking pictures,” the human-turned-Mer explained. “I had a thing called a camera, and I could use it to take still images, or pictures, of things to preserve, then give them to people, and they would pay me for them. Sometimes pretty good, too.”

“Huh…? What’s a camera?” Tidus asked with a frown.

“It takes the images and freezes them, almost like preserving memories for others to see,” Prompto elaborated.

“Wow… Sounds pretty cool,” Roxas admitted, before something seemed to click. “Wait, you said you ‘had’ it. What happened to it?”

“It was what I traded to the Weiz to become a Mer. It was special to me, but Noct means much more,” Prompto smiled slightly.

“Huh… cool.”

Suddenly, there was a gong-like sound that seemed to pulse through the Citadel, and both Tidus and Roxas looked up in surprise.

“Ah… looks like it’s starting,” Tidus mumbled, before he turned to the others. “Let’s go!”

“Yup,” Roxas nodded, and they escorted Prompto out.

 

It took them a little while to reach the throne room, but when they did, the entire room was filled up with Mer. Prompto couldn’t be certain, but it did look like the majority of Insomnia had indeed come to watch the abdication.

As he looked around, he also noticed that the Kingsglaive were floating in key-locations, clearly to keep a close eye on the entire ceremony and make sure everything went according to plan, as well as several others that didn’t appear to be part of the Kingsglaive, but were still there as guards. Upon looking over, he also soon spotted Regis, seated upon the throne, wearing similar accessories as Noctis had earlier, though his were much more elaborate than those of Noct, probably because he was still King.

“Huh… full house, looks like…” Tidus murmured.

“Not every day this happens, though,” Roxas pointed out quietly.

“Yeah…” Tidus murmured, glancing around the room, before he grinned and suddenly waved. And when Prompto looked over, he noticed Yuna a little further in the crowd… with one hand pressed to her stomach.

“Congrats, Tidus,” Roxas chuckled when he noticed as well, and then Prompto realized Yuna was forming Tidus’ eggs.

Tidus merely chuckled, rubbing the back of his head a bit, before there was another gong-like sound, which silenced everyone in the room to fall silent.

As silence fell over the room, Prompto then looked around quietly, seeking out Noctis. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to spot the raven among the other Mer. He didn’t have long to look around, though, since Regis then chose to speak up.

“Everyone… We thank you all for coming on such short notice,” he said calmly, his voice kind and regal as the King he was. “Much has happened over the course of these last few days, and much trouble has befallen the Kingdom of Insomnia. However, today, we wish to bring to you a moment of calm, a moment of respite from the war that has ravaged our home for too long.”

Prompto listened intently, Regis’s words keeping his attention.

“As your King, it has always been most important to consider first and foremost the safety of the people. Thus, it is with this in mind that we have decided to pass on the Crown, to best protect our land from those who would seek to bring chaos to us and tear down our home.”

There was a quiet murmuring from the crowd, and it was clear that many were somewhat worried about this, but as Prompto listened carefully, he realized most were more worried for the King’s health rather than who was to be his successor.

‘ _At least they’re not worried about Noct becoming King…_ ’ he thought in relief.

“Looks like they got enough trust in His Majesty…” Tidus murmured softly.

“Which is good, especially since this is so sudden,” Roxas mumbled in agreement.

Regis then shut his eyes, and he brought up his right hand – which was when Prompto noticed that the King had a dark ring around his ring finger.

“What’s that ring?” Prompto asked in a quiet whisper to Tidus.

“Huh…? …Oh! That’s the Ring of the Lucii,” Tidus whispered, as the King fisted his hand, causing a bright light to emanate from the ring to encircle his and entirely. “It’s the symbol of the Line of Lucis and allows them to communicate with the Crystal… or so the stories goes. I dunno if the talking thing is legit…”

“It’s probably true, though,” Roxas pointed out softly. “Considering the Line of Lucis is the only one capable of commanding the Crystal to form the Wall.”

“Well, I guess…” Tidus murmured.

Before the other blondes could respond, though, there was a sudden, loud click from above, causing everyone to raise their heads to look up to the ceiling. And when they did, the spiral-like ceiling unfurled itself slowly, revealing a piercing blue gem that floated high above them, glowing an ethereal light. Prompto wasn’t even sure how it could be this blue under the sea, but that was the only color he could possibly associate with it. He couldn’t say how big it really was, but if he had to guess, it was likely as big as Gladio was tall, at best.

“…speak of the seadevil…” the tallest of the three blondes whispered.

“That’s… the Crystal?” Prompto breathed in awe.

“Yeah,” Roxas nodded.

“Now…” Regis said, drawing everyone’s attention once more as he moved out his hand out as if he was throwing something into the crowd before him. “Let His Royal Highness approach the throne.”

And as he finished those words, a group of Mer that Prompto hadn’t even spotted brought up familiar-looking seashells, shaped like horns, and blew on them, filling the room with a mysterious music, as everyone turned their head to the back. And as Prompto followed their gaze, it was just in time to see Noctis swimming overhead, flanked by Cloud and Leon, though the both of them remained at a respectable distance. As he swam underneath the Crystal, its glow bounced off the dark gems embedded in his accessories, causing them to cast dark lights across the room.

The human-turned-Mer watched in awe as his lover went, now enjoying the sight of Noctis with those accessories. However, as the prince approached the throne, Prompto picked up on something else; excited whispering.

“Oh my gosh…! I’ve never seen the Prince with the Royal Armaments before! So awesome…!”

“I know, right~ He’s so cool!”

“Do you think he’s already decided on a mate, yet? Would it be to late if we were to…?”

“Oh don’t be silly! As if he’d every even consider you!”

“Hey, that’s mean!”

Prompto suppressed a jealous growl, despite knowing that Noctis already chose him. Still, it didn’t stop the feeling from manifesting.

Tidus suddenly reached out and put a hand to the shorter’s shoulder. “Easy, there…”

“Sorry…” the smaller male mumbled.

“It’s fine, they just don’t know. We all know, though,” Roxas assured him.

Tidus merely smiled and squeezed his shoulder, before dropping his hand again, just as Noctis reached his Father’s side and crouched down before him, his head aimed down as Regis rose from the throne.

“Prince Noctis,” Regis said firmly, gazing down at his son with a look that was both firm and loving, “since you have been given victory over the seas for the greater honor of the Crystal, we would welcome you as our successor to this crown and throne.” Noctis said nothing, and he did not move, even as Regis paused in his speech. Which seemed to be the good thing to do, as Regis asked of him: “Will you now swear fealty to the Kingdom and populace of Insomnia?”

And then Noctis finally spoke, saying only two words in a firm voice that could easily be heard by all. “I will.”

‘ _Hope he doesn’t use that voice on me later,_ ’ Prompto thought idly.

A warm smile passed over the King’s face, before it faded as he lifted up his right hand. And before the eyes of the people, a magnificent glaive materialized in his hand, similar, but more intricate, than Noctis’.

Noctis soundlessly rose from his perch and then placed his hand over his father’s. And as he did, Regis said firmly: “Speak your Oath, Prince Noctis, and swear allegiance to your hearth and home.”

Prompto watched with interest, his eyes focused on Noctis.

The Prince took a small breath, his shoulders heaving slightly, before he spoke firmly. “Here do I swear by mouth and hands, fealty and protection, to the Kingdom and populace of Insomnia. To uphold the Laws of the Kingdom, to speak and to be silent, to do and to let be, to strike and to spare, to punish and to reward, in such matters as concern the Kingdom. In need or in plenty, in peace or in war, in living or in dying, until I depart from my throne, or death take me, or the world end. So say I, Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

As Noctis finished speaking thenoath, Prompto felt a shiver run through him. And he wasn’t the only one; the people of Insomnia were staring at the two Royals in awe, some of them more so than others, as Regis released his hold on the sword, letting his son hold the sword as he soundlessly removed the Ring of the Lucii from his finger. And as he did, Noctis raised his right hand in silence, holding it out and allowing his father to slip the ring onto his own ring finger.

As the ring settled, though, the Prince winced sharply, though it was still subtle enough that it was easily missed by most. Though not by Prompto, and the blonde frowned a little, worried when he saw the wince.

Before he could worry too much, though, Regis reached out and placed his hand upon the younger Mer’s shoulder, offering him a warm smile, nodding softly. Noctis returned the nod as he waved his hand slightly to dismiss the sword he still held, before he turned and moved slightly further forward, looking up to the Crystal as it continued to float high above them.

“…this is it…” Tidus murmured. “Moment of truth…”

Prompto glanced at Tidus briefly, before refocusing back on his lover.

Noctis took a deep breath as he shut his eyes, and Prompto could see the slight sway of his tail as he held himself in place. And then, he opened his mouth and his eyes and began to sing. An ethereal song unlike any Prompto had ever heard the Prince sing before then.

A chill ran down the blonde’s spine at the sound, and he watched and listened, amazed.

And all other Mer in the room watched, just as enthralled as Prompto, as the prince sang out, his voice spreading out across the room, filling all with a feeling of serenity and tranquility. And high above, the Crystal pulsed with a vibrant light, as if it, too, was enjoying the Mer’s singing as well as everyone there.

And as Noctis finally finished, the Crystal gave a single, final pulse, and then, the ring on Noctis’ ring finger pulsed with the same light, and Noctis tensed briefly, before he allowed a small smile.

“People of Insomnia,” Regis said then, gesturing for Noctis as the younger Mer brought up his right hand, “I present to you your new monarch; King Noctis Lucis Caelum CXIV.” He paused for a moment more, before he said: “Long live the King.”

And then, as one, the crowd began to repeat the words, chanting them like a mantra over and over.

“Long live the King! Long live the King!”

Prompto smiled at the chant, relieved at the acceptance the people had for the raven. Soon, though, it would be his turn with Noctis, and half the people had no idea he even existed.

Noctis remained silent throughout the chanting, as he instead merely waved his hand to the crowd, watching them in silence… until he shifted his gaze and he caught sight of Prompto, as was obvious when his eyes widened marginally, before he allowed a small smile.

The blonde smiled back, proud of Noctis for being able to sing to the Crystal’s liking, and proud to be with such an amazing person.

As the chanting finally died down, Noctis turned to face his father, and the former King smiled fondly at his son as he moved away from the throne just enough for Noctis to take the seat. However, before he did, Noctis said kindly but firmly: “You have served our Kingdom well. You have our leave to depart.”

Regis allowed another warmer smile, and he nodded his head in silent thanks, before Cloud and Leon guided him away as Noctis moved to the throne properly. He seemed to hesitate there for a moment, before he finally moved to sit upon the throne.

This, in turn, was met with another round of cheers from the people of Insomnia.

At this point, Prompto grinned, though he was still nervous about being shown to the whole kingdom, basically.

Finally, as the crowd calmed down again, Noctis took a brief moment to breathe in properly, before he addressed the crowd. “People of Insomnia, we thank you for your support, and we swear to you that we will do all that is within our power to protect all within our care.”

The crowd murmured in appreciation to the words, and it wasn’t hard to spot the few Mer in between that were swooning over him. And again, Prompto had to squash down the swell of jealousy that rose within him.

Once the murmuring had settled, Noctis continued to speak. “We are aware that there may be those who may have their doubts about our reign, despite the support that you have shown us today. Part of this, we know, is in regards to the continuation of the Line of Lucis, so that the Wall may be upheld and our bond to the Crystal maintained.” He paused briefly to let those words sink in, before continuing. “For those of you who have worried about this, we ask you not to fret; for we have already found a suitable mate to remain at our side.”

“There we go…” Tidus said with a small grin.

The human-turned-Mer noticed the disturbance in the crowd at the words, and felt his own nerves increase.

“Easy, dude…” Tidus murmured, patting his back.

“It’ll be fine,” Roxas assured him, smiling encouragingly. And Prompto nodded.

This time, Noctis didn’t wait until people had calmed down before speaking again. “Now…” he said, raising his hand in the same way as his father had before when he’d summoned him over. “Let the Royal Consort approach the throne.”

“That’s your cue, dude,” Tidus said softly.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Roxas added in a whisper, and Prompto nodded, before beginning to move to the throne.

Like Roxas said, he and Tidus were right behind, though at a reasonable distance. It was obvious even without looking that there were more than a few people who were shocked and/or confused about Prompto’s appearance, but it was pushed to the back of Prompto’s mind as Noctis rose from the King’s— _his_ —throne, and held out his hand for Prompto to take.

The smaller male accepted the offered hand, giving Noctis a faint smile. And Noctis smiled back at Prompto, curling his fingers firmly around Prompto’s, before he took the blonde’s other hand in the same fashion. Prompto lightly squeezed Noctis’ hands in response, allowing the raven to guide him through the bonding ceremony.

If Noctis was aware of the people’s hesitance, shock and/or confusion, then he surely didn’t show it as he said firmly: “Prompto, while not of Insomnian blood you may be, our trust and our heart you have won for yourself, for now and forevermore. Will you stay by our side as our bonded mate through sickness and health, throughout all our troubled days, until the day that the coils of these mortal lives have torn and snapped and death do us part?”

“I will,” Prompto said clearly, allowing everyone to hear him.

Noctis smiled at the two simple words, as he adjusted his hands so that their fingers were linked, and he lightly tugged Prompto closer until their foreheads were touching together. “Then before the Crystal’s radiant light and the gaze of the populace of Insomnia, we swear to hold you close to us, to love you and guard you with all the power entrusted in us, so that our lives be entwined until the end of our days.”

And Noctis finished those words, Prompto felt the power pulsing from the ring on Noctis’ finger, and the light of the Crystal seemed to pulse in time to that surge, almost as if the Crystal was approving of and blessing their bonding. The blonde shivered lightly, too subtly for anyone but Noctis to notice, pleased by the Crystal’s apparent approval.

As the pulsing finally stopped, Noctis moved his head slightly to rub their noses together affectionately, before he released him with one hand and tugged him around to face the crowd of Mer. “People of Insomnia,” he spoke firmly, “we present to you your new Prince Consort; Prompto Argentum.”

There was a moment of hesitation from the crowd, obviously, but only for a moment as the crowd then broke out into cheers, once again.

Prompto noticed the obvious hesitation, nearly feeling hurt by it, but understood it was because hardly anyone knew of him, let alone their relationship before this. And Noctis said nothing in response to the brief pause, either, but he did squeeze the blonde’s hand, wordlessly telling him that it would be okay.

And the blonde squeezed back lightly, wordlessly thanking him for the reassurance.

 

It was several hours later, after the ceremony had ended and the Kingsglaive and council had sworn their fealty to the new King, when Noctis and Prompto returned to their room. Noctis had held himself with all the grace that was befitting of a King throughout the entire event, but the moment the door fell shut behind them, the whole façade came tumbling down and he let out a breath of relief that it was finally done.

“Ugh…! I’m SO glad that’s over with…” Noctis groaned once the door had shut behind them.

“You’re telling me,” Prompto agreed with a sigh. “Seemed to just go on forever, no offense.”

“None taken…” Noct mumbled as he moved over and laid himself down on the bed after opening the shell.

The blonde followed after him, lying down with his lover and curling his tail around their eggs’ pillow as usual. As he looked up and noticed this, Noctis smiled softly, but he said nothing of it. And Prompto smiled back, glad to finally be alone with Noctis after the day’s events. _Without_ distractions.

“So…” Noctis murmured as he rolled onto his side and faced Prompto properly. “What are you thinking of?”

“I’m just glad we’re finally alone now. And you’re not gonna be distracted by any documents Ignis drops off,” the smaller male chuckled.

Noctis laughed softly at those words. “Don’t say that too loud…” he warned.

“Fair enough,” Prompto snickered, before sobering up. “…I’ll be honest, I got jealous earlier.”

“Hm?”

“When the people saw you during the abdication, I could hear some of them wanting to try and court you,” the blonde explained. “Tidus and Roxas had to calm me down.”

That made Noctis chuckle. “Not surprised… I’ve had to deal with that whenever I went out into Insomnia, so I’m used to it.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Prompto muttered, before smirking. “Then again, you _are_ amazing, even without royalty involved.”

“Oy,” Noctis chuckled, reaching over and shoving Prompto to his shoulder.

“What?” the smaller male laughed. “It’s true! I fell in love with who you are, not what you are. ‘Sides, I didn’t even know you were a prince until I came down here.”

The new King smiled warmly, before he reached out and pushed Prompto’s hair behind his ears -- and the fin-clips attached to them, still. “…you look good like that,” the Mer whispered softly.

Prompto lowered his head a bit in a shy gesture. “You really think so?”

“Yeah,” Noctis murmured, curling his fingers around to move to Prompto’s neck, pulling him in to press a kiss to his mouth. “You look really good.”

The blonde hummed happily, gazing into Noctis’s eyes. “So do you,” he replied softly.

Still smiling, Noctis pulled Prompto up against him, kissing him again, this time much deeper.

And Prompto gladly welcomed it, kissing back eagerly. He shifted slightly to get closer, but the movement reminded him of their eggs on the pillow. Pulling back slightly, he asked in a quiet voice: “…What about the eggs?”

As the question seemed to register in his head, Noctis moved back slightly and then reached for the pillow, gently pushing it further down onto the bed, well out of the way but still far enough on the bed that they wouldn’t fall off.

“Didn’t want anything to happen to them,” Prompto whispered, scooting closer and pressing himself against the raven.

“I know,” Noctis murmured, curling his arms around the blonde’s waist, kissing him once more.

The smaller male wrapped his own arms around Noctis’ upper back, kissing back lovingly. He was eager for this, and had been since learning what would be required for him to stay with his lover.

Purring from the back of his throat, Noctis pulled him closer, curling his tail around Prompto’s, as his fingers played along his skin firmly but gently, teasingly. Prompto shivered at the touches, his own tail coiling with the raven’s, and he gave a soft moan. At which point Noctis, still purring loudly, rolled them over until he had Prompto pinned to the bed.

The blonde continued to kiss Noctis, enjoying the feeling of being pinned by him. Yeah, he’d topped Noctis back when they were human, but it was only because he felt he was doing something special with him… until the morning after. But with how things were now, he was glad to be the submissive one. He’d always considered himself a bottom in the bedroom, after all.

After what felt like hours, Noctis pulled away from the kiss, and then began to lightly bite and nibble along the blonde’s bare neck. It felt like so long ago that the roles had been reversed, when this had been the last thing he had been prepared to do. But now, he felt almost giddy, wishing this could last forever. And as his fingers moved down to the blonde’s waist, running them along the edge of his tail, where skin shifted into scales, he could feel the blonde’s body beginning to heat up.

This caused Prompto to shiver instinctively as he became warmer, moaning a bit louder at the teasing bites and nibbles. The noises made Noctis smile against Prompto’s skin, pressing and rubbing gently with both his tongue and fingers… before something came to him and he pulled away slowly with a soft kiss pressed to the blonde’s throat.

“…Why’d you stop…?” the smaller male panted a bit as he looked up at Noctis.

Noctis didn’t respond immediately, as he reached out and cupped Prompto’s face in one hand. “Because,” he said, his tone of voice shifting into one that was both different and familiar, “we wish to know what it is you want us to do, Prompto.”

The tone change drew a submissive whine from Prompto, and he shivered. “…I want—” he began, stopping to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. “I want you… to fuck me.”

At those words, Noctis moved his fingers to Prompto’s chin, his face shifting into a frown. “What foul words you use before your King,” he murmured, almost thoughtfully. “Have you no shame, Prompto?” he murmured, as he tightened his hold on the blonde’s tail with his own.

‘ _Not with you, I don’t,_ ’ the smaller male thought, before correcting himself. “I want you to…make love to me…”

This made Noctis smile again, as he gently rubbed his fingers along Prompto’s chin. “Such a pleasant expression you make…” he murmured, moving in and kissing him softly. “We are glad to have you here with us… loving us.”

“I’m glad, too,” Prompto whispered.

A deep purr emanated from the raven’s throat, as he once more began to nip along Prompto’s neck, as his hands wandered across the bare expanse of his chest. The blonde shivered and moaned softly at the teasing touches, wanting more. And as if sensing that (which wouldn’t be that odd), Noctis smirked softly against the skin, gently running the pads of his fingers along the blonde’s nipples. This made Prompto arch into the touch a bit, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Does that feel good, Prompto?” Noctis purred softly into the smaller Mer’s ear.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Prompto purred, choosing to join in on the roleplay Noctis had started.

Though the words initially startled him, Noctis swiftly went along with it as he smiled. “That is good… that pleases us greatly,” he murmured, moving his right hand down toward Prompto’s tail.

The smaller male gave a small whimper in anticipation.

“What is it you wish us to do, Prompto?” Noctis breathed heavily.

“M-make love to me, Your Majesty…” the blonde moaned.

Smiling warmly as his irises began to glow violet once more, he let his hand settle on Prompto’s crotch, as a small current of energy flowed from his hand and into the Mer below him.

“Ah…!” Prompto gasped, a loud moan escaping him.

Noctis allowed a chuckle as he moved his fingers lower, dragging them across the scales before beginning push them apart gently. The blonde shuddered and trembled, eager for more. Sadly, all Noctis did was move the fingers along the outer rims. He refused to touch him where the blonde _wanted_ to be touched.

“Your Majesty, please…!” Prompto whimpered.

The King hummed softly as he continued to tease the blonde, letting tiny jolts of energy run along the tips of his fingers.

“Ah-hah…!” the smaller male panted, moaning from the pleasurable touches and jolts.

Chuckling softly, Noctis moved closer and whispered in Prompto’s ear: “Tell us, Prompto… tell your King what you desire…”

“I…I-I want you…to m-make love to m-me…Your Majesty…” Prompto stuttered out, finding it hard to speak due to the teasing.

Noctis allowed a small smile as he removed his hand entirely. But before Prompto could complain, the King covered his mouth with a fierce kiss, while taking hold of Prompto’s hand and moving it across the black scales of his tail. And the blonde kissed back passionately, idly wondering where Noctis was going with this now.

As the King lapped at Prompto’s tongue, he made Prompto’s fingers move further along the scales, until they caught onto a few and slipped past them. The smaller male’s breath hitched a little as he felt this, realizing Noctis was basically showing him how to pleasure him as a Mer.

Chuckling at the hitch in breath, Noct moved Prompto’s fingers further inside as he nipped at the blonde’s bottom lip. And then he made the blonde’s fingers curl up which and the pads of his fingers moved along a familiar shape. Prompto shuddered as he touched Noctis’s flesh, grateful to get a second chance at pleasuring the raven, and this time with full, willing consent.

As Noctis pulled away briefly, he breathed: “Is this what you wanted?” as he helped Prompto to release his throbbing need from amidst the scales of his tail.

The smaller male whimpered, nodding.

“How much do you want it, Prompto?” Noctis purred softly, kissing at his temples and moving back to his ear.

“I want it so bad…no, I want _you_ so bad, Your Majesty,” Prompto breathed, shivering.

Smiling, Noctis took the blonde’s hand and gently pinned it to the bed, while the other turned his head to face him, rubbing his thumb over his cheek while he moved himself closer. Prompto gazed at Noctis with lust-darkened eyes, needing him more than he had ever needed anything before.

And then, as he pulled Prompto up into a deep kiss once again, Noctis pressed forward and inside of the shorter male in a single smooth thrust. The blonde gasped into the taller male’s mouth at the smooth entry, and shuddered at the new, filling sensation.

For a moment, Noctis held perfectly still, his only movement being his tail as it curled tighter around Prompto’s. At the same time, his hand curled tighter into his hair, holding him close as he continued to kiss him deeply. Prompto’s eyes, which had opened when he was entered, fluttered closed again as he moaned in his lover’s mouth, wrapping his arms around Noctis’s neck to keep him close.

Finally, Noctis broke the kiss slowly. “Are you alright…?” he asked softly.

“Y…yeah,” the smaller male whispered.

In response and out of consideration, Noctis remained completely immobile aside from where he was running his fingers through Prompto’s hair. While he had no experience with this as a Mer (as confident as he was able to appear every time they’d done this before), he didn’t doubt that that initial push had to be less than pleasant for anyone. And so he waited silently until Prompto told him it was okay.

Prompto lay beneath Noctis, adjusting to the raven’s girth. After a few minutes, he looked into the King’s eyes and nodded. Smiling softly, Noctis kissed him one more time, before he began to move slowly. The blonde gave a soft moan into Noctis’s mouth at the movement, already beginning to enjoy it and find the pleasure through that initial pain.

And Noctis, in turn, purred deeply from the back of his throat, and the sound rumbled from his throat. As he pulled back, he moaned out heavily: “Does it feel good, Prompto?”

“Yes, Your Majesty…!” Prompto answered in a breathy moan.

“Mmm… we are… glad to… hear that,” Noctis groaned as he struggled to keep his motions slow, for now. However, it was certainly not easy, because the blonde felt _so_ good…

And yet somehow he kept on moving slowly, lightly kissing Prompto every odd thrust.

The smaller male knew they needed more to finish, and that would have to be started by increasing the pace. “F… faster, You Majesty…” he stammered before moaning again.

“Mmm?” Noctis moaned, and somehow he managed to make it sound like a hum. “Is that an order?” he purred out.

“Please…go faster, Your Majesty…!” Prompto whimpered out in a plea.

Smiling, Noctis lightly pecked him on the lips, purring out: “Better,” as he picked up his pace.

The blonde moaned louder this time, wrapping his arms around the raven’s neck and pulling him closer. Purring heavily as he nipped at Prompto’s lip, Noctis smirked softly, before he leaned back – and then began to sing.

“ _Ah…!_ ” Prompto gasped, moaning loudly upon feeling the new (unknown) sensation of Noctis’ flesh vibrating inside of him as he sang.

Though Noctis was smiling, he never stopped either moving or singing, as he curled his fingers into Prompto’s hair, dragging the pads of his fingers along his scalp. And with every note he sang, his flesh pulsed and thrummed perfectly in tune with his song, as breathless as it was at times. The smaller male gasped, moaned, and cried out with every pulse and thrust, becoming hotter and hotter as Noctis continued to move inside of him.

And as the song faded into a wordless crescendo, Noctis pressed their foreheads together, almost slamming into the blonde, his body arching slightly to strike a spot Prompto had never known existed within him. Immediately, Prompto very nearly screamed with pleasure, a choked moan following the noise.

Noctis briefly bit his lip as this caused the blonde to tighten around him, before he focused back on singing, even as he hit that spot over and over again. The blonde continued to cry out with pleasure, shuddering with delight and continuing to tighten around Noctis with every other thrust. He felt his release rapidly approaching, and knew that he wasn’t going to last much longer.

As his breath began to run out, Noctis was forced to stop his singing, his motions beginning to lose their steady rhythm. Hissing softly under his breath, the King forced Prompto’s head up and he breathed: “Let go, Prompto… Come for your King…” before he locked their mouths firmly together once again.

And with a scream muffled by the raven’s mouth over his, Prompto did just that. His release hit him hard, and a choked noise escaped him when he tightened up around the King.

Groaning heavily, Noctis’ fingers tightened in the blonde’s hair, before he stilled as his own release washed over him and filled up the smaller Mer beneath him. Ans as the King finally stilled, the heat of his release flowing through the smaller male, Prompto whimpered quietly, shivering when he was filled, the heat spreading through his entire body and making his skin tingle. His grip around Noctis’s neck loosened, before his arms fell to his side, his energy spent.

Noctis remained where he was for a moment more, before he slowly pulled away from the kiss, and then moved away, with Prompto’s scales slipping into place almost immediately, as if to keep the other’s semen inside. “You okay…?” he asked after he’d laid himself down beside the blonde.

“Yeah,” the smaller male breathed, shifting closer with a content noise.

Smiling, Noctis wrapped his arms around the blonde’s waist, holding him close. “Good…”

Prompto’s eyes slipped shut, feeling drained. He gave a tired smile before whispering: “Love you, Noct…”

Noctis chuckled as he kissed the blonde’s temple, before he curled his tail, lightly tugging the pillow with the eggs closer as he hit the shell to make it close again. “Love you too, Prom… g’night…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noct's abdication/coronation speech is one I looked up on the internet. I have NO idea where this is used originally; it's apparently for "Kingdom of the West", but that's not very descriptive... so...
> 
> Also; the way Noct and Regis address themselves is by use of the "Royal We", for those who've never heard of that. Basically to show the people that the monarch speaks for them.


	31. New Developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When life gives you a turn, just roll with it.

When morning came (as far as Prompto could see, anyway, Noctis was curled around him as he was curled around the pillow with their eggs, still fast asleep. And it was only then that Prompto realized they’d never removed their accessories. Not that it bothered the blonde, anyway. Noctis had looked really good with them on, and the raven had liked his own, too. So there was no harm in it, in his mind.

Noctis groaned a little, before his arms curled a little more firmly around his waist. This made Prompto chuckle softly, as he loved this cuddly side of the new King. He decided to see about getting a bit more sleep himself, settling back down for more rest.

Which was exactly when his stomach began to roil, causing more than a slight discomfort.

“Ah, shit…!” Prompto hissed, his arms moving to cover his stomach. “What the fuck…?!”

The sudden motion immediately woke Noctis, and the King groaned before he turned to Prompto. “Prom?”

“My stomach hurts…!” the blonde whimpered, his eyes squeezing shut against the sudden pain.

Though Noctis almost began to panic, he quickly calmed down as he realized what was happening. “Prom, easy…” Noctis murmured. “Just relax… c’mon, deep breaths… it’s okay…”

The smaller male complied, taking several deep breaths as he tried to relax. Eventually, it worked, the pain fading, and Prompto exhaled quietly as he pressed back against Noctis. “That…came outta fucking _nowhere_ …”

“Yeah, sorry… should’ve warned you, but I wasn’t expecting it _that_ early…” Noct murmured.

“That’s from the eggs forming, huh?” Prompto guessed, looking back at the raven.

“Yeah…” the taller Mer confirmed softly.

“Geez, now I understand why you were in so much pain back then… Sorry…” the blonde mumbled apologetically.

“It’s fine… it happens…” Noctis murmured softly, resting his chin on Prompto’s shoulder.

Turning his head, Prompto kissed Noctis’s cheek. “Well, at least we both know what’s going on this time,” he smiled.

Noctis chuckled softly, returning the gesture quietly.

“Do you think the early pain is a sign of how many eggs I’ll end up laying?” Prompto asked suddenly.

“Hmm… maybe, I’m not sure… may have to ask Father about it…” Noctis admitted, lazily moving his fin along the bed. “…How many are you hoping for?”

Prompto shrugged a little, the motion a bit awkward, before answering quietly: “…I wouldn’t complain if we had seven…”

“Hmhmm… you do realize that’s going to be at least 9 names we’ll have to think of, right?” Noct pointed out with a small smirk.

“Yeah, but still. I’ve always been good with kids, and even before we met, I had considered a surrogate for when I got into a good relationship so I could raise at least one,” the blonde explained.

“Hmhmm… I do have one request, though…” Noctis murmured softly. “Do you mind if we name one of the girls, if any, ‘Aulea’?”

“No objections here, but why that name?” Prompto asked, curious.

“…It was my mother’s name.”

“Then I have absolutely no issues,” the smaller male smiled in understanding.

“Thank you,” Noct murmured, kissing the blonde’s temple.

“Anytime, Noct,” Prompto whispered, nestling closer into Noctis’s hold.

The King hummed pleasantly, briefly squeezing the blonde’s waist, before he sat up and pushed the shell open.

“Do we _have_ to get up? I’d rather just stay here all day…” Prompto whined with a pout.

“Unfortunately, I’m going to have to…” Noctis groaned as he stretched. “Downside of being King, I’m afraid.”

“You’d think they’d give you a ‘honeymoon period’ since you got your mate officially now,” the blonde grumbled, sitting up and stretching as well.

“‘Honeymoon’??”

“It’s something that couples do after they’re married. They go on a trip, called a honeymoon, and usually, they have a lot of sex during said trip. Sometimes it can be at least a week, depending on the circumstances,” Prompto explained with a chuckle.

“That sounds so weird… but kinda relaxing all the same…”

“It would be nice, you gotta admit,” the smaller male smirked.

“I suppose…” Noctis admitted. “Shall we get something to eat?”

“Yeah,” Prompto nodded, moving off the bed with Noctis and covering their eggs with the shell.

Before leaving the room, though, Noctis reached up and unclipped the fin-accessories from his ears, hissing slightly. “Gah… should’ve removed those before…”

Prompto did the same, cursing a bit once they were off. “Well, it was in the heat of the moment,” he shrugged.

“Hmhmm…” Noctis hummed as he set the items on the table. After that, he began to remove the rest of his accessories.

And Prompto copied him, even removing the bracelet on his fin and setting them all on the table, too. After stretching once more, Noctis nodded to Prompto and led the way out of the room. The blonde followed after, hoping Noctis’s day wouldn’t be too full of stuff that Prompto wouldn’t be able to be present for. Then again, he’d rather be allowed to have some ‘fun’ with his lover all day instead of anything work-related.

As they arrived in the dining room, Noct blinked briefly, before he smiled and moved over. “Morning, Father,” he said calmly.

Regis hummed as he looked up, before he chuckled. “Morning, you two.”

“Morning, Regis,” Prompto greeted with a smile as he sat by Noctis.

Once they were seated, the former King asked; “So, did you sleep well after all the hassle from yesterday?”

“As well as possible…” Noct mumbled. “I’m just glad no one made a huge fuss about Prom…”

“Yes, that’s always a good thing.”

“I would like to _think_ no one would hate the idea of me being with Noct,” the blonde snorted.

“Sadly, there’ll always be those who will have something against such things…” Regis murmured.

At those words, Noctis frowned in worry. “…Was it the same for you and Mom?”

“It wasn’t bad… but the council was certainly divided about it.”

“Kinda like with me, huh?” Prompto asked.

“I suppose you could say that, yes,” Regis said with a chuckle.

The smaller male shook his head a little in disbelief. “I’m surprised you would have had any trouble, to be honest.”

“Sadly, it’s been known to happen more often than not.”

Before the conversation could continue, Ignis and a few servants came over with their breakfast.

Prompto waited until they left and everyone had their own plates before beginning to eat, not even questioning what it was anymore. As they ate, though, his stomach churned lightly. It didn’t hurt, but it was definitely noticeable. Which also made Prompto realize why Noct had been holding his hand to his stomach the whole time back on land; to ease the pain and/or discomfort.

The blonde felt a bit of guilt for having put Noctis through that pain unknowingly, but right now, he just hoped he wouldn’t get sick, if that could even happen as a Mer.

Once they were done with their breakfast, Noctis hummed in thought, before he turned to his father. “Was a decision made about Vaan and Reks, actually?”

“Not yet,” Regis said with a shake of his head. “You may have to move in on that soon, lest they decide to make the decision without you.”

“Might be smart, yes…”

Prompto frowned a little, concerned, as he listened. He really hoped they wouldn’t get killed. While he had no idea what they were like, if Noctis was sure that they didn’t pose a threat, he would trust his mate.

Once the plates had been brought back and the three of them had gotten up, Noctis turned to Prompto. “Prom, this might take a while… and I highly doubt you wanna be there for the whole thing. Do you mind…?”

“Nah, it’s fine. I understand, royal duties,” Prompto chuckled.

“I could take him to visit Tidus and Yuna,” Iris offered as she swam over.

“…Oh right, Yuna was forming, wasn’t she?” Noctis murmured, nodding. “Well, if you don’t mind, Iris… Prom?”

“I’d like that,” Prompto smiled.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll see you later, Noctis!” Iris giggled, before dragging Prompto off.

Noctis laughed, shaking his head as he watched the blonde be dragged off.

 

When they arrived at Tidus and Yuna’s home, it was near the edge of Insomnia, and Prompto immediately found himself admiring the cozy house. It was as sleek as the rest of the city – or “Corale” as the Mer called it – and while it was nowhere near the size of the Citadel, it seemed big enough for two people to live in… as well as a number of potential kids.

“Hang tight, Prompto,” Iris told the blonde, before swimming over and knocking on the door. “Hi Yuna, Tidus! Prompto and I came to visit!”

It took a moment, but finally, the door opened and Yuna was behind it. When she saw them, she smiled. “Oh hi. How are you two?” she asked, her hand once again resting on her stomach.

“We’re good,” Iris smiled as Prompto joined her side. “Doing okay so far with the forming?”

“Feels like it,” Yuna giggled, before she moved aside to let them in.

As he came inside, Prompto saw it was fairly basic, much like Noct’s room, so he figured it was likely a Mer thing to not be very materialistic. Once Yuna had shut the door, Tidus swam down from the floor above, which was connected to the bottom floor with what appeared to be a simple hole in the ceiling.

“Yo,” he said with a grin as he righted himself. “‘Sup?”

“Not much, you?” Prompto asked with his own grin in place.

“Same. Just preppin’ for Blitzball season to come around,” Tidus laughed with a grin.

“When does that start, anyway?” Prompto inquired, curious.

“Next week,” Yuna said with a giggle. “Will you be joining them, Prompto?”

“Maybe, just depends on my own situation,” the blonde admitted, a slight grimace coming over his face as he felt another flash of pain in his stomach, his hand resting there instinctively.

Upon noticing that, Yuna’s eyes widened in surprise, as her own fingers twitched against her stomach. “Prompto… are you…?”

“Well _cred_ ,” Tidus laughed. “You guys definitely didn’t waste any time, huh?”

“Couldn’t really,” Prompto admitted, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. Iris squealed at the news, before hugging Prompto briefly.

“Things are definitely gonna get lively now!” she giggled.

Yuna giggled, before she moved over and offered the blonde a hug as well, which Tidus didn’t even seem to mind one bit. “Congratulations, Prompto,” she said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Prompto replied kindly. “I have a feeling Iris is right with things becoming lively at the Citadel, though.”

“Well, what with Noctis having had two, and you’ll have more, then things are going to be exciting!” Iris grinned.

“One thing, though,” Tidus said suddenly. “You mind letting us know how many you’re having later?”

“Yeah, I’m sure we’ll be telling just about everyone later,” the smaller male replied easily. “After all, if we’re having more than three or four with this, I’m sure everyone would want to know, huh?”

Yuna giggled. “Actually, the boys have a bet going on about how many you boys will be having.”

“Hey! Don’t go telling him that!”

“Oh come on!” Prompto groaned. “Seriously, Tidus?”

“I’m not surprised, since they’ve seen how close you two are,” Iris snickered.

“Well why not?” Tidus said with a shrug of his shoulders, making Yuna giggle.

“…Okay, gotta ask, who bet the most?” the shorter blonde asked hesitantly.

“Rox did. He bet 13, including the two you have already.”

“Geez! I didn’t think he would bet that much…” Prompto muttered, looking away awkwardly.

“I’m sure it’ll get to that point eventually, but obviously not in one go,” Iris laughed.

Yuna giggled softly – before she yelped, reaching for her stomach with both hands.

“Yuna!” Tidus cried out as he swam over to her.

“Yunie? You okay?” Iris asked worriedly, swimming to her side as well. Prompto hung back a little to give her a bit of space.

Yuna tried to speak, but she ended up whimpering as her fingers clawed at her stomach. However, this was enough for Tidus to figure out what was going on and he cursed. “Cred…! C’mon, Yuna; let’s get you up,” he said firmly but gently, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and carried her up to the next floor.

“She must be about to lay them, I guess,” Iris frowned, worried about the pain she’d seen on her friend’s face.

“It’s that painful, huh?” Prompto asked.

“Not sure, since I’ve never formed or laid, but I can only imagine,” she murmured. Prompto sighed quietly, now a bit worried for himself, but he was also feeling a pang of guilt again for having not been there for Noctis when he’d laid his eggs.

 

Despite the female Mer’s earlier cries, Yuna wasn’t actually crying out from the floor above. Though it did still take several long minutes anything to be heard. Eventually, after almost 30 minutes, Tidus peeked back out from the hole, and then waved for Iris and Prompto to come up.

The pair complied, going up one at a time, first Iris, and then Prompto.

Upon coming, into what appeared to be the bedroom, they quickly spotted Yuna sitting on the bed, quietly resting on the bed, while her tail was secured around 4 pale blue eggs.

Iris resisted the urge to rush over, not wanting to startle her friend, but went over at a slower pace. “Congratulations, Yunie,” she smiled softly. Prompto looked at the eggs, a bit in awe himself.

Yuna smiled lazily, half laying, half pushed up on the bed. “Thanks…” she murmured softly.

“Are you okay, Yuna?” Prompto finally asked, remembering the pain she’d been in before.

The brunette allowed a small giggle, before she answered. “I’m okay, Prom; it just hurts a bit when it starts, but after that it gets better.”

“Really?” the smaller male blinked, surprised.

“Don’t worry; you’ll be fine,” she assured, lightly patting his arm as Tidus moved over to beside her.

“I’ve just heard horror stories of when women would have children before…” he mumbled, before pausing and glancing at Tidus as though to ask permission if he could tell her.

“Wait, what…?” Yuna asked, but Tidus merely nodded his head, telling the blonde it was okay.

“Well, okay. So, Tidus already knows, along with Sora, Roxas, Iris, Gladio, Ignis, and Regis, but I’m originally human, Yuna,” Prompto told her. “I met Noct when he was stuck in a net on a beach once, and freed him before putting him back in the water.” He then went on to explain about the events leading up to his current situation, and then finished with: “And that’s why we needed to have me forming eggs by now. That way I can stay here with Noct.”

Obviously, Yuna seemed a bit shocked by the news, but at the same time, she didn’t seem to think any differently of the blonde. “Wow… you two must be real close, then, huh?” she asked with a smile, and Tidus chuckled at the words.

“Yeah, we are,” Prompto smiled warmly, relaxing from her reaction. “But what I meant before is that only human women can have kids, and they carry only one or two at a time for nine months before giving birth. And I’ve always heard about how agonizing it is… Clearly never experienced or seen it, but I’ve heard.”

“That is so weird,” Yuna got out amidst her giggles, while Tidus let out a small whistling sound.

“Yeah, compared to here, it is,” Prompto chuckled. “Then again, a lot of stuff is different here than back on land. Not that I mind. I love it here.”

Tidus laughed at that. “Sure there’s not _more_ down here you ‘love’?” the blonde asked cheekily, which made Yuna snort on a laugh.

“Hey, Noct is a given,” Prompto retorted, and Iris laughed as well.

“He’s got a point, Tidus. But Prompto should be happy with Noctis, wherever they are, so it’s good he loves it here,” Iris giggled.

“It’s a joke, Iris,” Tidus laughed… before he suddenly frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Prompto asked, noticing the frown.

Tidus didn’t reply right away, keeping his gaze aimed at the window, before he rose from the bed. “…You guys wait here,” he mumbled suddenly, before he abruptly swam out.

Prompto swam to the window anyway, looking out to see if he could spot anything. Narrowing his eyes a little, he soon spotted a familiar figure, and his bright blue eyes widened in shock before he raced after Tidus, ignoring Yuna’s and Iris’s calls.

However, since Tidus was much faster than Prom, following was one thing, but catching up was another thing altogether. Thankfully, though, it wasn’t so far away that he completely lost sight of the other blonde, so he was able to spot Tidus stopping and summoning his sword while confronting the figure there.

“Tidus, wait!” Prompto yelled as he hurried over. “Don’t!”

At the yell, Tidus turned toward Prompto in surprise, before he shouted: “I told you to stay back!”

“And I’m gonna tell you this one more time, don’t! I know him!” the smaller blonde snapped as he finally caught up.

“You wha…?” Tidus started.

Before Prompto could explain, though, the figure allowed a chuckle/giggle. “Hello, dear. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it has been, Kuja,” Prompto said. Looking at Tidus, he added, “This is Kuja. He’s the Weiz I made the deal with to become a Mer.”

“…this guy?” Tidus mumbled.

“Yep,” Prompto confirmed. “He also led me to where Noct was being kept, and basically pointed me in the right direction to find him.” Turning back to Kuja, he murmured: “I never got to thank you for that, though I suspect you helped us out more than I first thought, huh?”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about, there, dear~” the Weiz chuckled, a cheeky expression on his face as he adjusted his position on the rock he’d been sitting on.

“I figured as much,” Prompto chuckled, before frowning a little. “What are you doing here, though? Tidus was gonna kill you…”

“Hey, I’m not THAT hot-headed…” Tidus mumbled.

“Oh, no reason, dear,” Kuja giggled, before he added; “Though, I _am_ curious to see if you shouldn’t be hurrying back upward soon enough…”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. I’m staying for sure,” Prompto smiled slightly, resting his hand on his stomach. “Noct helped me figure out what you meant, so now it’s set in stone.”

This made Kuja chuckle. “Good to know… fairly sure there’d be some other people in Insomnia who’s like the same, but oh well,” he said with a shrug as he got up silently.

“What do you mean?” Prompto frowned, confused, before his eyes widened. “Wait, are you talking about Vaan and Reks?”

“Hm? Am I?” the Weiz murmured.

“Can you ever just be straightforward for once?” Prompto sighed. “Seriously, though. What do you mean by them wanting the same? Do they want to become Mer, too?”

“Oh I wouldn’t know, dear,” Kuja chuckled. “Though I’m sure they’d enjoy being able to stick around, hm?”

“And you just answered my question,” Prompto snorted, but then paused, hesitating. “…I know you’d want something in return if they were to be changed by you, Kuja, or any Weiz, really. What would you want this time? I gave you my camera before.”

“Well, I don’t know, dear; what do they have to offer, hm?”

“That, I don’t know…” the smaller male murmured. “If I find out, where can I find you?”

“Oh, I’ll be around,” Kuja chuckled, before he waved and began to silently move away.

“Kuja, wait!” Prompto called, drawing the Weiz’s attention again. “Thank you. For everything.”

Kuja remained silent as he watched the blonde, before he smirked and waved his hand over his shoulder dismissively as he turned around, disappearing out of view after only a few minutes.

“…That guy was weird…”

At the remark, Prompto chuckled. “Yeah, he’s something else. But he really was a huge help for me. I wouldn’t be where I am now without his help.”

“I guess…” Tidus admitted, dismissing his sword.

Prompto snorted. “Next time, just trust me, okay? I know you’re not a huge hothead, but I usually know what I mean if it’s something urgent.”

“Okay, if you say so…” Tidus said with a shrug. “Anyway, let’s go back, alright?”

“Yeah. I’m sure the girls are freaking out because I took off after you the way I did…” the smaller blonde admitted, feeling a bit guilty.

“Most likely, c’mon,” Tidus said with a chuckle as he led him back to the house.

Prompto followed after, and when they came back inside, Iris looked at the human-turned-Mer worriedly.

“Why’d you leave like that, Prompto? You could have gotten hurt!” she questioned.

“Sorry, but I saw a familiar face,” Prompto replied. “It was the Weiz I made the deal with, Kuja.”

“Really?” Yuna asked in surprise as Tidus moved over to settle beside her. “What did he want?”

“Well, he claimed to be checking to see if I was gonna be hurrying back anytime soon, but he knows I’m here to stay now,” the blonde shrugged. “But what’s interesting is that he seemed to be offering to make our Wyf guests into Mer, in exchange for something of value to them, of course.”

“He can do that…?”

“I’d think it’d be easier than turning a Mer into human or vice versa…” Tidus pointed out. “…Though would it be forever?”

“Not sure,” Prompto admitted. “But I guess we’ll have to somehow find out.”

“Well, it would prevent them from being executed or locked up for the rest of their lives,” Iris pointed out.

“That’s true…” Tidus admitted. “Though would the council allow it? I know the King has the final say and all, but…”

“I’m sure Noct would be interested, at least,” Prompto nodded. “I’ll talk to him about it when we get back.”

“Good idea,” Iris agreed.

“Definitely,” Yuna agreed.

 

When Prompto and Iris returned to the Citadel, Prompto managed to find his way back to Noctis and his room on his own, hoping the raven would be there when he got back.

Thankfully, he was, though he was looking through some documents quietly.

“Hey, Noct,” Prompto greeted with a smile as he swam inside, closing the door behind him quietly.

Noct hummed as he looked up, before he smiled. “Hey.”

“Sorry we took a while, Yuna laid her eggs, and she had four,” the blonde told him as he went to Noctis’s side.

“That so? Cool,” the King chuckled as he rolled up the document and put it aside for a moment.

“Yeah,” Prompto smiled, before hesitantly adding, “I also saw a familiar face while we were there.”

“Hm?”

“Kuja.”

At that, Noct’s expression turned into a dark frown. “…what did he want?”

“He initially seemed to be checking if I was staying, and how that was going, but he seemed to hint that he could help with the situation with Vaan and Reks,” the smaller male explained.

“What…? How?”

“He hinted that he could make them Mer, but they’ll obviously have to exchange something of value to them,” Prompto replied. “Not sure what they could offer, but it’s worth a shot, right?”

“…I suppose… but…” Noctis frowned slightly. “How long would it last?”

“That…I don’t know…” the blonde admitted.

Noctis hummed softly, his tail swaying a bit as he thought.

Prompto sighed. “He said he’d be around, but nowhere specific was mentioned, so maybe we could try asking for details,” he suggested, before pausing. “…Then again, he hardly ever gives a straight answer.”

“You mentioned that, yeah…” Noctis chuckled softly.

Prompto shrugged. “Still. What do you think, though?”

“Well… it’s a better alternative to what the council has in store…” Noctis admitted. “Though first it may be smart to see Vaan and his brother before we start making deals on their behalf.”

“True,” the smaller male agreed. “Wanna go now?”

“The sooner the better, I’d say.”

“Sounds good,” Prompto smiled.

Nodding, Noctis rose from his seat and led the way out of the room, after they’d shut the shell once again.

 

It barely took them long to get down to the cells. The one thing that took a little longer was finding a few members of the Kingsglaive to escort them.

“Thanks for taking us, guys,” Prompto told Roxas and Axel as the group headed to Vaan and Reks’ cell.

“Of course, Prompto,” Roxas smiled. “We’re happy to help. Right, Ax?”

“Definitely,” the redheaded Mer smirked.

Noctis didn’t say anything initially, as he merely followed along in silence. But then again, that wasn’t so strange for him. Eventually, they reached the corresponding cell and as they looked inside, they could spot the pair of Wyf in the very back, seemingly asleep.

Prompto let Noctis go ahead of him once they reached the cell, that way he could address the pair himself. Meanwhile, Axel hung back a little while Roxas summoned Oathkeeper to his hand, just in case the King needed in.

“Vaan,” Noctis called out. “Vaan, get up.”

Vaan grunted briefly, blinking, before he raised his head and looked up. “Oh, hey,” he got out as he stretched as well as he could.

Prompto went to the raven’s side then, hoping he wouldn’t upset Vaan or Reks with his presence.

Vaan didn’t seem too upset, though he did seem a bit curious about him, as his nose seemed to twitch briefly. “Sooo… any news on what’s gonna happen?” he asked, rather than address the blonde’s presence.

“Well, as you can likely guess, the council isn’t too fond of both of you…” Noctis began.

“Yeah, I’m not surprised…”

“However, there might be an easy way out that doesn’t involve execution or exile…”

“Eh?”

“Want me to tell?” Prompto asked.

“Go ahead,” Noctis said solemnly.

“I know a Weiz that can make you both Mer, as long as you have something of value to offer in exchange,” Prompto told Vaan simply.

Vaan blinked in surprise at those words, as he regarded Prompto, before looking to Noctis. The new King nodded his head, silently confirming the words.

“…ookay… that why you smell like Weiz?” Vaan asked casually.

“What?” the blonde blinked, surprised by the question.

“You smell like Weiz magic,” Vaan pointed out.

“Oh…” Prompto uttered, before sighing and looking at his lover, silently asking if he should explain.

Noctis sighed before he looked back to Axel and Roxas. Axel frowned, confused, until Roxas moved to whisper in his ear, and then the redhead’s emerald eyes widened in shock, before he nodded in understanding to the small blonde.

Once Axel seemed to be just as informed, Noctis turned to Prompto and nodded.

The blonde then took a breath, before saying, “The Weiz I’m talking about helped turn me into a Mer from a human. I was born human.”

“…okay?”

“You’re not surprised? Everyone I’ve told has been shocked,” Prompto said, furrowing his brows in confusion.

Vaan shrugged his shoulders. “Weiz can do some funky stuff… so eh. I’m not that surprised with what they can do, really.”

“Well, color me surprised,” Prompto chuckled. “But anyway, the Weiz who I made the deal with is named Kuja. He never gives a straight answer, but he heavily hinted that he could make you and your brother each a Mer in exchange for something of value.”

“…Something like… what?” the Wyf asked slowly.

“Not sure, but it would probably have to be something personal. I had to give something precious of mine up for the deal, but it didn’t matter in the end, as long as I’m here,” the blonde answered.

“…well in case you hadn’t noticed… we don’t really HAVE anything on us…” Vaan mumbled.

“I know, but I’m sure something can be done… I still think it’s worth a shot,” Prompto replied.

Vaan hummed a bit, frowning, with his tail swishing a little bit.

“Would you be interested, if it could be done?” the human-turned-Mer questioned.

“…do we really have a choice?” Vaan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re stuck here either way… but if there’s a way to get out of _here_ … sure.”

“Then, Noct, we should find Kuja,” Prompto murmured, looking at his lover.

“Problem is I can’t really leave…” Noctis mumbled. “Not anymore anyway…” Shaking it off for the moment, he turned to Vaan. “We’ll be back soon, alright?”

“Yeah, kay.”

Noctis nodded his head, before he turned and began to head off.

Prompto was quick to follow, Roxas and Axel trailing behind them. “Sorry, wasn’t thinking… So, how should we go about this?” he asked.

“Hm…” Noctis frowned for a moment. “…Tidus saw him, right? He should be able to find him fairly quickly…”

“Good point,” he nodded, and then he remembered the conversation from earlier at the taller blonde’s home. “Speaking of Tidus… Roxas, I was told you and some of the guys placed bets on how many Noct and I would have, including the two we have now.”

Roxas froze, before groaning, embarrassed at having been caught, but Axel laughed, unashamed. “Did Tidus seriously tell you?”

“No, Yuna did,” Prompto answered. “But Tidus told me you bet 13.”

“No harm in it, it was just innocent betting!” the smaller blonde said hastily.

“I bet eight,” Axel chuckled.

“…Seriously, guys?” Noctis sighed out, regarding the pair of them solemnly.

“It was Tidus’ idea originally!” Roxas yelped as Axel snickered.

“We just chose to join in,” the redhead shrugged.

“You can’t really be mad, Noct,” Prompto said. “They’ve seen how close we are.”

Noctis sighed softly, but he didn’t say anything else on the matter as he continued on his way.

Prompto followed closely, with Roxas and Axel trailing after the couple. Once they left the cells, the blonde and redhead split off to go to their own duties, while Prompto went with Noctis back to their room.

 

Once they were back in their room, Noctis sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“You okay?” the blonde asked softly.

“Yeah…” Noctis murmured as he moved open and opened the shell again.

“What’s on your mind?” Prompto questioned as he joined the King on the bed. His expression twisted in one of slight pain as he felt the by-now familiar pain of the eggs forming inside of him, and his hand covered his stomach automatically.

Glancing over at the motion, Noctis moved over closer and placed his hand over Prompto’s. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just the eggs again,” Prompto murmured, smiling slightly at his lover.

Noctis allowed a smile of his own as he laid down, pulling Prompto down with him.

The smaller male complied, cuddling close to the raven with a warm smile. “You never answered me. What are you thinking about?”

“Political stuff…” Noctis chuckled, lightly prodding the blonde’s forehead. “Don’t worry. I just have a lot of things to think about and consider for Insomnia…”

“If you say so…” Prompto snickered, sticking his tongue out teasingly.

Which, in turn, had Noctis moving in and closing his lips around his tongue. The blonde yelped, startled, before settling back down and kissing Noctis. Purring, Noctis reached over and pulled Prompto up against him, wrapping his arms around the blonde.

Not that Prompto was complaining, as he wrapped his arms around the King’s waist in return, kissing Noctis eagerly. As Prompto kissed back, Noct’s fingers moved across his back, teasing and rubbing softly but firmly.

The smaller male moaned quietly into the kiss, enjoying the rubbing and teasing motions of his lover’s fingers on his skin. After a moment more, Noctis pulled away and began to kiss and bite along his throat.

Prompto was more than receptive, tilting his head to give Noctis more room to work. Purring deeply, Noctis reached down with one arm, slipping his hand along his front gently.

An eager noise was emitted from the blonde’s throat, and he shivered lightly in anticipation. And just as the sound died down, Noctis pressed his fingers along the scales and moving slowly.

Prompto whimpered, wanting more, and wordlessly pleading for it.

Chuckling softly, Noctis pulled away slightly. “Are you going to make me do all the work here?”

Prompto rolled his eyes a little, but didn’t reply verbally. Instead, remembering the night before, he slid his hand down to the front of his lover’s waist, slowly running his fingers along the scales there. Purring heavily, Noctis allowed a small smirk, before he kissed the blonde again, firmly, as his fingers pushed past the blue scales.

The smaller male gasped with pleasure into the King’s mouth when that happened, before copying Noctis and pushing his own fingers past the ebony scales. This caused the taller Mer to groan, the sound muffled because of the kiss, even as his own fingers moved slowly, teasing his lover. Prompto, however, wanted to see Noctis come undone, so he wrapped his fingers around the raven’s flesh, moving them sensually along the heated length, despite his own pleasured whimpers and moans.

This caused Noctis to gasp as he pulled back briefly, before he moved to latch onto Prompto’s throat, nipping and licking. The blonde moaned louder in response, before beginning to tease Noctis by pumping him in random patterns, leaving Noctis unable to predict the smaller male’s motions.

Noctis moaned heavily, his tail twitching briefly, before he smirked as he curled his own fingers around Prompto’s cock, moving only the pads along his flesh. A loud moan escaped Prompto at the touch, and he shuddered, nearly losing track of his own hand’s motions before resuming, hoping to bring Noctis closer to his climax.

And while it did just that, Noctis wasn’t about to leave Prom behind, as one hand slipped around and began to toy with one of his nipples as the fingers of his other hand massaged just under the head of his cock. This caused the blonde to tense briefly, before he gave a cry of pleasure as he came, barely managing to make Noctis cum along with him following a few sensual strokes to his cock.

Which he did with a muffled cry against Prompto’s throat, his teeth sinking in a little further, though not far enough to draw blood.

Once they had both calmed down, Noctis pulled back with a small sigh. “Better?” he quipped cheekily.

“Definitely,” Prompto smirked, settling against the King with a content hum.

Smiling, Noctis pulled the blonde up against him, humming a quiet song from the back of his throat. The smaller male instinctively curled his tail around their eggs’ pillow as he closed his eyes, idly wondering what the song was.

If Noct was aware of the thought, then he certainly didn’t show it, as he continued to hum softly, his hand running through Prompto’s hair. And the blonde merely gave a pleased noise in response, before beginning to drift off to sleep.

The King smiled as he saw the blonde drifting off, and then rested his head on the blonde’s. He wasn’t sleepy yet, but he wasn’t going to leave the blonde yet. He’d dealt with everything he had to do today anyway, so it wasn’t like he was skipping out on his responsibilities.


	32. Magical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic is a funny thing, really.

When Prompto woke up a few hours later, it was to a familiar feeling, but not a pleasant one: hunger. He grumbled quietly as he felt and heard his stomach growl from the lack of food, just wanting to sleep some more. However, before he could go back to sleep, there was a tap on his head.

Looking up, Prompto pouted at the source of the tap. “Noct…” he whined, giving his best puppy dog eyes.

“Yes?”

“Can’t we just stay here for a bit longer?”

“Sure… if you want to starve.”

Prompto thought about it, but when his stomach growled again, he sighed. “…Dammit…” he muttered.

Laughing softly, Noctis untangled from the blonde and got off of the bed.

The blonde got off their bed as well, stretching a little before wincing briefly at the pain from his eggs forming again.

“You okay?”

“Just the eggs again, it’s okay,” Prompto assured his lover.

Nodding, Noctis wrapped his arms around the blonde’s shoulders, hugging him briefly from behind. The smaller male, although a bit surprised by the reaction, gave a pleased sound at the affectionate gesture. He turned his head to kiss Noctis softly, wordlessly thanking him.

Smiling through the kiss, Noctis returned it just as softly, before he pulled away. “C’mon, let’s get some food before we get Kuja over, alright?”

Though initially surprised by the suggestion, Prompto nodded, before they left to the dining room.

Upon arriving, they asked Ignis to fix them something for them, who didn’t object and headed for the kitchen to do just that. And once they had sat down, Noctis gave a small sigh.

“You okay, Noct?” Prompto asked, concerned.

“Yeah…” Noct murmured. “Just thinking…”

“What about?” the smaller male asked, tilting his head curiously.

“Well… everything, I guess.”

“You gotta be more specific with me, Noct,” Prompto chuckled.

Noctis merely smiled, before he shook his head. “I’m just trying to adjust to everything resting on my shoulders, really…”

The blonde’s gaze saddened when he heard that, knowing that in reality, Noctis shouldn’t have to feel the weight of the Corale on his shoulders, especially when he wasn’t even that old.

Upon catching the look, Noctis hummed as he looked over. “What’s wrong?”

“I just feel bad that you’re pretty much bearing the weight of the Corale on your shoulders, and when you’re still young,” Prompto admitted. “You shouldn’t have to…”

Before he could finish, Noctis reached out and took hold of his hand. “Prom, it’s fine.”

The smaller male blinked in surprise, before lightly squeezing the raven’s hand in wordless thanks. Thankfully, Ignis returned shortly after with their food.

“Thanks, Ignis,” Prompto told the sandy blonde, before beginning to eat.

Noctis nodded in thanks and started to eat as well.

As Prompto ate his meal, he couldn’t help but think about possible names for their children, however many they ended up having. He already knew they would name a girl Aulea, per Noctis’s request, but he couldn’t help but want the name Regina for another girl.

As they gradually finished eating, Noctis seemed to notice the thoughtful expression, and he looked over curiously.

“Thinking of names for when the eggs hatch,” Prompto answered the silent question with a chuckle.

Noctis allowed a chuckle as he nodded. “I suppose that makes sense… the sooner we have them ready, the better.”

“Honestly, I was considering ‘Regina’ for another girl,” the blonde admitted.

“Oh? Any reason in particular?” Noct asked.

“It would fit a little girl with a King for a dad,” Prompto smirked.

That made the other Mer laugh. “I suppose you have a point,” he said with a chuckle as he rose from his seat.

“Did you have any other names in mind? Besides Aulea?” the smaller male inquired, getting up as well to follow Noctis back to their room.

Noctis hummed as they moved along the hall, before he stopped Prom as he tried to head down the hall to their room. “Other way,” he said, moving the opposite way, toward the throne room. “And not really… I hadn’t really considered it yet.”

“Well, maybe you should,” Prompto snickered, before his expression became curious. “Why are we going to the throne room?”

“Well I did say we were getting Kuja over, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but won’t we need Tidus to find him?”

Rather than respond to that, turned to one of the guards by the entrance of the throne room, and firmly told him to go find Tidus, who was to bring Kuja to them. Though the guard seemed a bit confused on who the latter was, the Mer didn’t question it and merely bowed, before he swam off to do as the King had ordered. And Noctis didn’t say anything else as he went into the room.

Prompto shrugged, following after his lover into the room.

Once inside, Noctis solemnly moved to the throne and sat himself down there. And Prompto was sorely tempted to practically sit in his lap, but he resisted and swam over to merely just… float by the throne.

“…Prom.”

“Hm?”

“Get over here,” Noctis said as he grabbed Prompto’s wrist and pulled him into his lap anyway.

The blonde yelped in surprise at the pull, before he looked up at the King with an amused smirk. “You a mind reader now or something, Noct?” he teased.

“Hm?”

“I was tempted to sit in your lap, but you pulled me on anyway,” Prompto snickered.

This made Noct chuckle softly, but he said nothing as he pulled Prompto closer to rest along his chest so his head was on his shoulder. The smaller male hummed contently at the hold, and in fact, he pressed a little closer to the raven with a pleased sigh.

And for at least 15 minutes, they just sat there, not even saying anything, as Noctis ran his fingers gently along the blonde’s back.

Finally, Tidus entered the room, with Kuja soundlessly following after. When Noctis saw him, though, his eyes briefly widened in surprise, as he recognized the Weiz from when he’d returned to the ocean, before he managed to school his expression into a neutral one.

Prompto remained where he was, figuring he should keep comfy in Noctis’s lap.

After Tidus had bowed to the King, not even seeming to be surprised at Prompto being in the King’s lap as he was, he moved back slightly. Kuja soundlessly regarded Tidus for a moment more, as if considering something, before he turned to the Mer sitting on the throne again, his expression solemn, as it had been the first time Prom had seen him.

The human-turned-Mer kept quiet, though, not wanting to speak before Noctis should.

For several long moments, the room was silent, before Kuja allowed a smirk and bowed deeply. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” he said calmly.

Noctis hummed softly, but he didn’t say anything just yet. even as Kuja rose again. And neither did Prompto, but he had a random, fleeting thought that Noctis just might bring up that kiss Kuja had given him in order to allow the blonde to speak Mer fluently. And that thought made him just a bit nervous.

Especially after Noctis’s reaction to the information before.

Thankfully, Noctis chose to not bring the matter up, as he instead focused on more important matters. “So… you are Kuja, correct?”

“Ah, very true, Sire,” the Weiz chuckled, tucking some hair behind his ear, though it helped very little under water, of course.

Prompto relaxed a little at the noticeable ignoring of the subject, thankful Noctis wouldn’t mention the incident.

Noctis hummed softly at the simple words, keeping his expression as empty as possible. Which he was doing pretty well, as he said: “Prompto has informed us that you spoke of a way to turn Wyf into Mer. Is this true?”

“Ah, yes, I _may_ have mentioned it in passing, yes,” Kuja chuckled out. “I certainly won’t deny it’s impossible…”

The smaller male looked up at Noctis, wondering just what was running through his lover’s mind.

Whatever was going through his head, he kept it from showing on his face. However, if you looked closely, you could actually see that he was more than a little annoyed at the Weiz’ evasion. Yet somehow he was able to hide as well as possible.

“Is that so…?” he murmured softly, before speaking louder. “However, how long would this spell last? How much time would there be before they will return to their true form, should they choose to accept?”

Prompto then looked to Kuja, hoping that the Weiz would be a bit less evasive this time in his answers.

“Hmm… well I suppose that would depend on what they have to offer in return,” Kuja said with a small giggle.

Internally, Prompto groaned. He was afraid of that one…

“…So it all comes down to what they offer, huh?”

“Quite so, Your Highness.”

The blonde tensed slightly, the reaction barely visible except to Noctis since the raven was holding him in his lap. What the hell could they offer, since they had nothing?

Noctis said nothing to the tensing, though he did lightly move his fingers along the blonde’s spine. He did hum softly in thought, though. “…Is it something that needs be offered by themselves, or is there a law amongst your people for others to pay for them?”

This caught Prompto’s attention, making him look up at the King curiously. What was Noctis planning…?

Kuja didn’t respond immediately, though his amusement faded briefly, But then, he allowed a small smirk. “There certainly isn’t a rule that says it’s prohibited… but it’s certainly rare to see it happen.”

Prompto was definitely intrigued now. If there was a way to help the brothers, he was sure Noctis would be all for it. And that was definitely on his mind, as he hummed from the back of his throat, letting his fingers trail along Prompto’s back.

And as the taller male ran his fingers along Prompto’s back, the smaller male shivered ever so slightly from the teasing touch.

“…Ah, by the way, Your Highness…”

The blonde perked up a little, hoping Kuja wouldn’t give any bad news.

Before continuing, one of the Weiz’ tentacles curled inward slightly, and then curled up again. “I do believe these are yours, hm?”

This time, Noctis couldn’t stop the surprised/startled expression from appearing on his face as the Weiz now held up two pieces of plasticized paper.

“The pressed flowers?” Prompto uttered, before realizing that Noctis had to have lost them back when he was kidnapped while coming home. How did _Kuja_ get them, though?

“Quite the interesting souvenir you picked up, I must say,” Kuja murmured as he took the two flowers from his tentacle. “These are certainly not something you see this far down…”

Noctis didn’t respond immediately for a moment more… before his lips twitched momentarily. “Is that so…?” he murmured. “Then, perhaps you would be interested in taking one as payment?”

The blonde looked at his lover, surprised by the offer.

“Oh?” Kuja certainly seemed interested in the offer, though, as he regarded the King solemnly. “Well, I certainly would not be opposed to the idea…”

Noctis didn’t respond to the words immediately, as he instead lightly pressed the pads of his fingers along Prom’s back. Prompto gave a light shiver at the touch. He really hoped Kuja would accept.

Kuja hummed as he regarded the two pieces of paper between his fingers, before he reached out and took one of the pressed flowers. “In that case… I shall take you up on your offer, Your Highness,” he said simply, while he flicked his fingers to send the paper he’d just pulled out zipping toward Noctis.

And the King somehow managed to catch it as it came into range.

“…Tidus.”

“Your Majesty?” Tidus said in response, bowing quietly.

“Please go retrieve Vaan and Reks. Ask Roxas and Sora to assist if need be.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” the blonde Kingsglaive said, before he headed out.

Prompto smiled softly at Noctis, glad that he’d gotten at least one of the pressed flowers back. He’d been tempted to ask sooner, but chose not to so as not to upset the raven. Noctis chose not to say anything else for the moment, though he did pass the pressed flower to Prompto for the time being.

And the blonde took it in his hands, settling a bit better now.

Noctis remained silent as they waited, his fingers continuing to move slowly along the blonde’s back, while the other hand rested on his tail. Prompto gave a pleased hum at the touches, simply enjoying being with his lover. If Kuja noticed the touches, then he didn’t mention it. And Noctis didn’t seem to be prepared to speak of it either.

That was when Sora and Roxas entered the throne room, escorting Vaan and Reks along with them. Prompto perked up a little upon their entry, but stayed where he was otherwise.

Both Wyf had their wrists cuffed together, which was, in turn, secured to a manacle around their throat as well as the hefty chain used to guide them over. This didn’t stop Vaan from looking around the large room in what appeared to be awe, though Reks bumped his side roughly to shake him out of his staring fest. Vaan then grumbled something with a small half-pout, before he looked ahead -- and then he stared up at Noctis in slight surprise.

Suddenly, Roxas pushed Vaan down into a bow, looking at the Wyf pointedly.

“Gah!” Vaan yelped, glaring at Roxas from under his hair, while Reks chuckled, having already bowed down before, so Sora didn’t have to do the same to him.

Kuja hummed softly as he regarded the two Wyf, lazily turning the pressed flower between his fingers.

Roxas merely shrugged at Vaan, not really bothered by his glare.

“Well aren’t we pleasant,” Kuja suddenly said with a soft chuckle underlining his voice, drawing the attention of the two Wyf, and when Vaan took note of what he was looking at, his eyes widened in realization, and even Reks looked a little surprised. “Though I do suppose it’s rather uncomfortable with those chains, hm?”

Vaan glared up at the Weiz, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. When Noctis briefly waved his hand, though, Roxas finally allowed Vaan to lift his head again, and he immediately reached for his hair with an annoyed grumble.

“We can’t unlock them, though,” Sora frowned.

“Or else we’ll be letting Wyf swim around the Citadel,” Roxas added with a nod.

“Well that’s a pity…” Kuja murmured… before he smirked. “Suppose we had better fix that, then, hm?”

“What?” The brothers spoke in unison, both equally confused.

Vaan and Reks, however, exchanged a look quietly. It was Reks who spoke, though.

“We… don’t have anything to offer in return…” he said solemnly, and Vaan bit his lip, clenching his hands into fists in worry.

“Oh, no need, dear; I’ve already been paid for my services today~” Kuja giggled out, startling the two Wyf.

“Wait huh…?” Vaan got out.

Prompto chuckled softly, but didn’t speak, even as Sora and Roxas exchanged curious looks.

Kuja, of course, didn’t bother to elaborate as he put away his newly obtained prize wherever he kept the treasures he collected from his ‘deals’. “Either way, dear, since this has probably already been discussed with you beforehand, I’ll just skip over the formalities,” he said as he snapped his fingers down in a way that Prom was very familiar with, and, shortly after, a single contract appeared before the pair.

The blonde in Noctis’s lap watched the two Wyf curiously as they looked at the contract. And the King solemnly regarded them in turn, lightly tapping his fingers along Prom’s tail, as Vaan and Reks began to quietly discuss the situation with each other.

However, after almost ten minutes, Reks reached out for the ‘pen’ that had appeared along with the contract and then silently wrote his name on the scroll. Vaan didn’t say anything in response to that, but he did accept the pen as his brother handed it to him, and then moved to write his own name on the contract.

This caused Prompto to relax further, as well as the touches to his tail. He looked up at Noctis with a pleased smile, glad the pair had chosen to sign. Noctis merely gave a small hum, though there was a small smile of his own playing on his face.

As Vaan finished with his own signing, Kuja allowed a smirk as he cracked his fingers and moved over, his tentacles easily dragging him along the floor. And as he came into range, familiar white energy spiraled around the Weiz’ arms, and then he snagged the contract with one of his tentacles. “Well then,” he nearly purred out, “it’s been a pleasure, boys~”

And then he slammed both his hands against their guts, the energy rushing into them both and making the pair of Wyf scream out in alarm.

Prompto watched, almost motionless now, as they were changed. Roxas and Sora, on the other hand, backed up a bit in their surprise.

And Kuja didn’t even bother with the Wyf’s screaming, as he merely curled his fingers while watching as their tails flailed like crazy, as they seemed to arch in ways that, for Wyf, were impossible. And then, with an eerie bone cracking sound, their screams finally ended, though they echoed for a while longer.

Roxas’ and Sora’s eyes were wide with their own horror from the screams, before they relaxed slightly as they looked at the pair. Prompto continued to watch from Noctis’s lap in the meantime.

As the screams finally faded, Vaan groaned as he blinked his eyes open -- at which point he yelped. “Whoa!” he got out as he curled his tail around, wagging his fin curiously… which had now turned a full 90 degrees and had become slightly see-through. In other words; it’d become the tail of a Mer.

Prompto chuckled softly, remembering his reaction from when Kuja had changed him. Sora and Roxas, however, openly gawked, before they looked at each other and shrugged.

Reks watched his brother, before he looked down to his own tail, watching as it swayed in a way that, to him, was probably very different from normal.

“Sora,” Noctis said then, “would you mind removing the chains?”

The brunette blinked in surprise, before nodding. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he said, summoning his Keyblade. He then unlocked the chains from both Vaan and Reks, catching the metal pieces before they hit the floor.

As their hands were finally freed, both Vaan and Reks spent a few moments rubbing at their wrists, before Kuja chuckled. “Well then… I shall take my leave, then, Your Highness,” he said with a chuckle, before he turned and silently moved away.

Prompto was tempted to call after Kuja, just to thank him, but decided against it. Obviously the Weiz had his own interest in helping them, and the deals were just part of it.

Vaan watched Kuja leave as well, and he seemed just as tempted to say something, but in the end he kept quiet. Once the Weiz had gone, Vaan brought his hands up and put them behind his neck. “Okay… sooo…” he started slowly, “Now what?”

“That’s up to you, Noct,” Prompto said, finally speaking up as he looked at the King.

Noctis was silent for a while longer, lightly swaying his tail, before he finally spoke up. “…While you now have the appearance of Mer, there will be those who will be suspicious of your presence…”

“That’s only reasonable…” Reks murmured.

“As such, it would be most wise to not give the populace reason to worry or accumulate concern…”

“Wait… how does that work?” Vaan asked curiously.

“The most simple way, is for you both to remain with the Kingsglaive, until you have been able to gain the trust of the populace.”

“The wha…?”

“The Kingsglaive,” Roxas chimed in. “We protect Insomnia, but most importantly, we protect our King to the very end.”

“Oookaaay…” Vaan murmured, while Reks looked mildly interested.

“It… would be the safest, I assume…”

Noctis nodded his head silently. “Sora, Roxas,” he said then. “Escort our new allies to the Kingsglaive quarters and introduce them to Nyx.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the aforementioned pair nodded, bowing respectfully before leading Vaan and Reks out of the throne room. Once they were gone, Prompto smiled up at his lover.

“That went better than I thought it would, don’t you think?” he asked.

“Definitely…” Noct murmured.

“Feel better now that they’ll be okay?” the blonde questioned, shifting a little in the raven’s lap so he was more comfortable.

“Hmm… yeah,” Noct admitted, rubbing Prom’s back.

“Good,” Prompto smiled softly, leaning into the touch.

The King smiled as he moved closer and lightly kissed the blonde’s temple.

The gentle gesture made the smaller male give a pleased noise, turning his head and capturing Noctis’s lips with his own. This was answered with a deep purr, as the King rested a hand on his shoulder, before pulling away and resting his cheek on top of Prom’s head.

Prompto blinked, surprised by the response, before settling and resting in his lover’s lap, giving a content sigh.

 

By the time the day came to an end, the couple returned to the young King’s room.

“Whew…” Noctis breathed out.

“Tired out, huh?” Prompto guessed as he swam to their bed, lifting the shell to check on their eggs.

“Hmhmm…” the King hummed, as he joined Prompto on the bed, curled around the pillow with their eggs.

“Then let’s get some sleep,” the blonde chuckled, managing to cuddle close to Noctis while still curling his tail around the pillow.

Noctis smiled as he wrapped his arms around the blonde’s shoulders, keeping him close.

Not that Prompto would ever complain about the closeness. He would never get tired of being with the raven. He hummed happily as he wrapped his own arms around Noctis’ waist, happy to be like this.

Noct briefly stretched out his tail, before he curled his tail around Prompto’s as he hummed sleepily. However, as they settled in, there was a sudden pain that shot through the blonde’s tail.

“Ah…! Son of a bitch!” Prompto swore, flinching harshly from the pain.

“Prom!?” Noctis cried out as he almost shot up from the mattress.

“My tail…hurts…” the smaller male hissed out, shuddering.

Frowning in worry, Noctis sat up and reached for the blonde’s tail, settling them there and allowing some of his magic to siphon into the tail.

Prompto whimpered and whined as the pain continued, until it began to fade.

“You okay…?” Noctis breathed softly as he moved over.

The blonde nodded. “I think…my body was trying to change back…” he mumbled.

This made Noctis frown in worry, before he curled around Prompto protectively.

Prompto smiled softly at the protective response, before murmuring, “I’m not going anywhere, though.”

“I know…” Noctis murmured softly.

The smaller male hugged his lover, beginning to settle down again. “Let’s get some sleep,” he whispered. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Noctis nodded softly, before he reached over and hit the shell, causing it to close over them, and he then proceeded to hum as he held the blonde closer.

Prompto snuggled into the raven’s hold, closing his eyes as he listened to Noctis’s humming and heartbeat while he rested his head on his lover’s chest. “Goodnight, Noct. I love you,” he murmured.

“Hmmm… love you too…” Noctis whispered lazily as they both began to doze off.


	33. New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New stories begin every day...

Despite Prompto’s reassurance that he wouldn’t be leaving and he’d be able to stay, there was still a few moments of uncertainty in the two days that followed. There were a few moments where Prompto _did_ feel like his tail was about to tear open, but it would pass just as fast. And thankfully, as the second day after that initial pain came to an end, the pain had finally seemed to have gone entirely.

Prompto gave a relieved sigh as the pain finally vanished, having a good feeling it was finally over.

Noctis hummed as he looked over from where he was working. “You okay, Prom?”

“Yeah,” the blonde smiled. “The pain’s finally gone, and I have a good feeling it won’t come back.”

The King smiled as he set his work aside and swam over, quietly kissing the blonde when he was in range.

Prompto kissed back, glad that he was now permanently a Mer. “Looks like you’re stuck with me for good now,” he chuckled when they parted.

This made the raven chuckle softly. “Wouldn’t have it any other way…” he murmured as he sat himself down beside the blonde.

The smaller male cuddled close to his lover’s side, a content noise escaping him. “…Do you think I’ll lay the eggs soon?” he asked softly, looking up at the taller male.

“Should be soon…” Noctis noted. “You might’ve been accidentally holding them back because you were fighting your tail splitting. That’s possible.”

“Good point. Then I’m glad it hasn’t happened yet…” Prompto mumbled, the mere thought of things going wrong scaring him.

“Yeah…” Noctis curled his arm around Prompto and briefly kissed him again. “Hey, I need to finish one more thing, okay? Should take me only a few moments…”

“No worries, I’ll be right here,” the blonde chuckled, curling his tail around the pillow with their eggs on it after the raven got off their bed.

As Noctis moved back to his desk, his tail wrapped around his chair, the raven quietly hummed to himself. It wasn’t a particularly happy or sad song, but it certainly filled the silence in the room. And this made Prompto smile to himself, glad for some relief of the quiet. He’d never liked too much silence, so for Noctis to be humming was nice. It also served to help him start dozing off, and he was pretty sure he would end up falling asleep before Noct finished his work.

…that is until his stomach roiled violently.

“Ah…!” the smaller male gasped, his hands immediately moving to grasp at his stomach. “Fuck…!”

Immediately, Noctis stopped humming and spun around toward Prom in alarm, before he rushed over to his side. He looked like he was about to ask what was wrong, but when he saw him clutching his stomach he stopped that question before it could form. “Prom, it’s okay; c’mon just breathe… easy…”

Prompto whimpered as he tried to follow Noctis’ advice, inhaling deeply as he clenched his jaw tight from the pain. And as Noctis continued to shush him gently, he ran his hand through the blonde’s hair. “It’s okay… just relax…”

The smaller male _tried_ to relax, he really did. The pain was intense, though, and worse than the pain he’d felt with his tail.

“It’s okay… you just need to relax…” Noct murmured. “Deep breaths… c’mon…”

At the repeated words in that soothing voice, Prompto _finally_ managed to, albeit slowly and steadily. Whimpers still escaped him, though, despite his best efforts to keep quiet.

“It’s okay… I’m here…” Noctis whispered, kissing his forehead. Once he pulled away, he reached for Prom’s crotch area and slowly, carefully, pushed the scales aside. “Okay, breathe in and hold it for a moment… then breathe out, while contracting your stomach… can you do that?”

The blonde nodded shakily, following his lover’s instructions, doing as he was told.

“Okay… again.”

Prompto complied, doing it again.

“Right… that’s good…” Noctis murmured, running a hand through his hair. “Just keep doing that…” he whispered, his other hand gently moving the fingers along the scales.

The smaller male continued the pattern, focusing on trying to breathe evenly, despite his mind also focusing on Noctis’s gentle touches in order to distract himself from the pain.

Thankfully, as he breathed out, contracting his stomach muscles like Noctis had told him to, the pain slowly faded away entirely. Once it had, though, he felt the muscles along the bared skin of his tail moving apart, as heat slowly moved along the slight twitching muscles.

Prompto gave a small gasp at the foreign sensation, his bright blue eyes snapping wide open as he _felt_ his first egg emerging from him.

“Sssh… easy…” Noctis murmured, as the first egg slipped out finally, and he caught it gently between his fingers. “You’re doing fine. See?”

The blonde looked at his first egg, which was as black as their first two, in his lover’s hand, and he gave the raven a small smile before refocusing back on his breathing, as he _knew_ there were more to come. He wasn’t sure how many, but there would be at least two or as many as six more he had to lay.

Noctis briefly moved to the pillow with the other eggs, and placed the third egg with the others, before he moved back to Prompto. And as he moved his fingers along the scales again, the next egg slowly slipped out, just as black as the last one.

Prompto shivered at the feeling, but he was grateful to have Noctis with him for this. A flash of guilt ran through him as he thought about how the raven had been alone when he’d laid his eggs, and he looked up at Noctis apologetically.

“It’s okay… don’t think about it…” Noct whispered, as he placed the egg with the others.

The smaller male nodded once, once again refocusing on his breathing and the next egg moving through him.

And the King remained by his side, running a hand through his hair softly as the next egg slipped out to rest in his hand as well. Prompto continued this pattern, and as he felt the fourth egg moving to follow the other three out of him, he wondered if he was really going to lay seven eggs.

 

The cycle continued like that for what felt like ages, but finally, a sense of relief filled the blonde’s body, as the pain faded away entirely. Once the pain was completely gone, Prompto gave a sigh of relief, before slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position and looking at Noctis.

“…How many did I lay?” he asked softly. He honestly hadn’t been able to keep track after the fourth one due to the pain and focusing on his breathing.

“See for yourself,” Noctis chuckled out, helping Prom to look at the pillow with their eggs.

When Prompto looked at the pillow once he was sitting up better with his lover’s help, his bright blue gaze became shocked as he saw a total of eight eggs on the pillow, six of them a bit smaller. His jaw dropped, and he stared in awe at all of their eggs, almost amazed by the fact that they were going to have eight children now.

Smiling in turn, Noctis hugged the blonde and kissed his temple. “You did well.”

The smaller male snuggled into the hug automatically with a soft thanks, and then he laughed softly at the next thought that crossed his mind before he voiced it. “Looks like Axel won the bet the guys had,” he snickered.

“Hahah. I suppose so,” Noct murmured, rubbing the other Mer’s shoulder softly.

Prompto leaned against the raven, enjoying the closeness and the soothing touches. “…I still can’t believe I laid six for my first time laying eggs,” he admitted.

“Well, I did tell you ahead of time, didn’t I?” Noctis said with a chuckle.

“Still, I would have thought I’d only lay the minimum since I wasn’t born a Mer,” the blonde explained. “Guess that fact didn’t make a difference.”

“Well, you were a Mer when you were to lay, so that probably helped.

“True…” Prompto nodded, his eyes starting to drift closed. All the pain he’d been experiencing lately had finally worn him out, and the exhaustion was catching up to him. He curled closer against the King, just wanting to rest now.

And the King merely smiled as he adjusted the blanket along the pillow. “Get some rest,” he murmured. “I’ll be here…”

The smaller male mumbled his agreement, before allowing himself to fall asleep in his lover’s hold.

 

While the King and his lover relaxed in the Citadel, outside of Insomnia, a familiar Weiz was simply relaxing in his little cavern-like home, white tentacles holding him in place easily as he rested there, uncaring about whatever it was that might have been going on outside. The Weiz hummed softly in his half-asleep state, moving some of his hair out of the way instinctively.

Unfortunately, the world had other ideas.

“Yo, Kuja!!” a familiar voice shouted from the entrance of the cave, which made the Weiz groan in annoyance.

“…what do you want, Zidane?”

“Wow, aren’t we grumpy today?” the same voice from before chuckled out, as the presence from the entrance moved inside. Kuja sighed as he opened his eyes and glanced over to the blonde Weiz that had made his way inside. “Oh hey, I see you got some new stuff… so what’ve you been up to?”

“…hmm… same old, same old,” Kuja murmured, clearly uninterested as the blonde moved to examine some of the trinkets he’d recently obtained from his contracts. “So… why are you here?”

The blonde pouted a bit as he looked over, setting the camera he’d been holding down. “C’mon, can’t you _at least_ act like you’re happy to see me? Or maybe even curious about Miko. Anything, really…”

“You’re both still swimming, aren’t you?”

“Oh come ooooon,” the blonde whined in annoyance, before he sighed and moved over. “Whatever… anyway, you hear ‘bout the Niffs?”

Kuja hummed as he reached out into a nearby pot, pulling out a shrimp and popping it in his mouth to munch on. “Can’t say I have… nor do I care, mind you…”

“Well you’re no fun,” Zidane complained. “This involves all of us, yanno?”

“Does it?” Kuja mumbled softly.

After rolling his eyes, Zidane shook his head and finally said: “Fine, dude. I’ll just get to the point. Ulti’s granddaughter’s been seen in Niff territory.”

As those words, Kuja actually frowned and finally sat up, his interest awakened at last. “…what?”

“Yeah,” Zidane sighed. “We dunno what she’s planning there, but my guess, it ain’t good.”

“…certainly not…” Kuja snarled. “That little fool… what does she expect to achieve?”

“Dunno… was thinking of going to figure it out… but didn’t want to go out there without someone knowing where I was heading. Sooooo… here I am.”

Kuja regarded him briefly, before he sighed. “You never change, Zidane… always sticking your tentacles in places they don’t belong…”

“What can I say? I dun need reasons to help people.”

“Yes, and that will end up getting you killed one day…” Kuja watched the blonde for a moment more, silently, before he sighed heavily. “However, I know I won’t be able to stop you… just make sure you stay alive.”

“Hah! Always! You just keep your eyes open, alright? Dunno what’s gonna happen, but it’s gonna be a big one once this blows up…”

“Speak for yourself, dear…”

Zidane chuckled once, before he solemnly turned and swam out, disappearing from the cave once again with a flick of his tentacles. Kuja sighed heavily as he sat there, frowning in thought. ‘ _…and just when you think you’ve seen the last of trouble… it rears its ugly jaw once more…_ ’

 

Ever since Prompto had laid his eggs, time almost seemed to fly (or swim) by almost ridiculously fast. Once they had deemed the surrounding area safe again, Prompto had finally managed to return to the surface briefly to meet with Luna and Ravus to let them know he’d be okay. Of course, Noctis hadn’t let him go alone and had sent the Kingsglaive with him to protect him, just in case of.

Thankfully, that had turned out to be unnecessary, but Noctis hadn’t been prepared to take the chance after everything that had happened. And Noctis, in the meantime, had adapted fast to his role as King, and everyone loved him as much as they had clearly loved Regis. There were still those who looked at Prompto with some disdain, but Regis had already said that it was something that would likely never go away, so it’d be better to get used to it, much as he hated it.

Vaan and Reks had also adapted to life as Mer quickly enough, and despite their fears,, they didn’t appear to be changing back anytime soon. Perhaps it was because they had already been creatures of the sea from the beginning, but as long as they didn’t change back, they would remain in Insomnia as part of the Kingsglaive. They were able to earn the trust of the other Kingsglaive before long, even though Leon had been less than receptive about them joining the team. However, with Nyx having accepted them in the ranks, he had little choice in the matter. And in the end, he didn’t even seem to mind as much.

If anything, he and Reks seemed to be getting along almost better than Reks did with his brother at times.

And before Prompto had even realized it, 3 months had passed them right by.

 

The blonde was curled around their eggs as best as he could, considering their size now, as he had been doing more and more lately, watching the largest two of the eight closely for when they would hatch. He was excited to meet them, to say the least, and he honestly didn’t want to miss a second of it. He knew his six would hatch probably in a week, after the pair Noctis had laid would. However, again, he didn’t want to miss a second, which was why he spent most of his time in their room nowadays. He’d even spend dinner in the room more often than not, just to stay close to their children.

Ignis didn’t mind, and sometimes, if Noctis wasn’t too busy, he’d join the Prince Consort there.

As Prompto moved his hands over the two largest eggs. He could both feel and see the two children inside moving slowly and lazily inside the slightly see, their fins moving along the soft shell of the eggs.

“Any time soon, but I know you’ll come out when you’re ready,” he whispered, a warm smile curving his lips.

However, just as his moved his hand along one of them, there was a sharp pain that suddenly pricked his finger.

Prompto jolted a little at the sudden prick, before he realized what was happening. “Ah…!” he gasped as he spotted the small point sticking out from the egg he’d just been caressing; the child’s nail trying to break through the eggshell. ‘ _Noct, hurry back!_ ’ he thought in a panic, not wanting the raven to miss this.

Thankfully, just as the blonde thought that, the door opened and Noctis swam in, rubbing his head tiredly.

“Noct!” the blonde called to his lover, a relieved yet excited grin on his face. “They’re hatching!”

Upon those words, Noct’s weariness immediately faded and he swiftly swam over to the bed as well, settling beside his lover. And as he did, the pair watched as first one, then two, and then five nails poked out through the shell, tugging and dragging at the shell.

Prompto sidled up to be pressed against Noctis’s side, keeping his tail curled around the remaining eggs as they continued to watch for the first child to emerge from its egg.

Noctis smiled as he settled properly, watching quietly as the nails tore through the shell. And then, as they continued to watch, they realized that the second egg was also hatching slowly, as the child’s nails tore through the shell as well. They didn’t get long to do anything about it, as the first egg’s shell tore away, and a pair of small hands reached out and tried to pull their owner out.

The King smiled softly, as he reached out and gently placed his fingers between the small fingers, while the other hand tugged at the shell. And as he tugged with the finger held in the small hands, the small Mer was pulled out from the egg, a small whistling-whine coming from its small mouth. The little Mer had a black tail, which tried to wag slowly behind it, large, blue eyes that were half-shut and blinking over and over, with a small mop of light silvery-blonde hair on its head.

Prompto smiled as he reached out to the second egg when similar small hands emerged, helping their second child out of their egg after tugging away some of the shell to make a large enough opening for it. He gave a tender smile at the sight of their second child as he gently pulled the little Mer out, already in love with their two newborns. This small Mer, unlike its sibling, had darker blue eyes and a small mop of black hair, though the tail was the same black color as it tried to wiggle about.

Noctis smiled as he tugged up the small Mer he had helped out of its egg and held it close to his chest. “Hey there, little one…”

And Prompto did the same with the other, sitting up a bit better and holding it close. “Hi there…” he whispered, excitement evident in his voice.

The two kids gave small, curious mewling sounds, almost whistling as they settled against their parents. And Noctis allowed a small smile, before he turned serious as he carefully moved his fingers along the Mer’s tail and then gently pushed the scales away. The small Mer gave a mewl of surprise, tail wriggling, but that was it as Noctis did this.

“…Ah, this one’s a girl.”

Prompto blinked up at Noctis, pleasantly surprised. “What about this one?” he asked, glancing down at the little one in his arms.

Noctis moved over and gently moved his finger along the scales of the tail. After repeating what he’d done with their first child, he said: “Another girl.”

“Looks like you get your wish,” the smaller male chuckled. “You choose which one gets the name Aulea.”

Noctis hummed as he looked between the two little girls for a moment, before he smiled and looked to the one in his arms. “This little one; she looks closest to what Mother looked like…”

“Then, can we name this little girl Regina?” the blonde asked eagerly.

“Hahah, of course.”

“Thanks,” Prompto smiled softly, before looking down at their second daughter. “Hi Regina…” he greeted, holding her closer.

Regina gave a small mewl as she curled up along the blonde’s chest, snuggling her face close.

Noctis allowed a warm smile as he held Aulea, who reached up for her eyes and mewled as she rubbed at them. “Still sleepy, Aulea?” he murmured softly.

Prompto chuckled at Aulea’s apparent sleepiness, before he felt a swell of emotion as the reality of the scene hit him. He was really with his family, and a parent now, first to two daughters, and soon to be eight children. And the best part? He was actually going to be able to spend his life with them, instead of only being able to see them from land during visits.

Noctis smiled when he noticed this, and he moved closer to the blonde, resting his arm around his shoulders as the two girls settled quietly in their arms. Prompto looked up at Noctis at the contact, a pleased hum emitting from him.

Suddenly, Regina made a sound, and when they looked over, they noticed the little girl was reaching out for the other eggs. “Regina? What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Noctis asked softly.

“They’re not just quite ready to come out yet, sweetie,” Prompto murmured.

Noctis regarded Regina for a moment, before he looked over to the eggs.

“…You sure, actually?” Noctis asked.

“Wait, really?” the blonde uttered, looking at Noctis with wide eyes.

“Look,” the King said, gesturing for the eggs, and when Prompto looked, he noticed that at least one of them had been punctured by small nails from inside.

The smaller male’s jaw slackened a bit at the sight, and he couldn’t help but panic a little. He’d thought his eggs wouldn’t hatch for another week or so!

“Maybe these two realized the others wouldn’t hatch for a week and decided to actually wait for them.” Noctis murmured, as he gently set down Aulea by the pillow. The small Mer mewled as she pushed up lightly to watch as the King began to assist her siblings in getting out of their eggs.

Prompto copied him, setting Regina down by her sister by the pillow and helping the hatching newborns out.

And as they gently pulled the children out from their eggs, the two parents hugged them briefly before placing them down by their siblings. The little girls immediately began to dote on their younger siblings, even though Aulea still looked like she was about to go to sleep at any moment.

It took them almost half an hour before all eight children were settled on their bed, cuddling together and mewling, after their parents had checked their genders and had spent a few moments naming them. Thankfully, despite them all having the same parents, it wasn’t difficult to tell them all apart, as they all had something that set them apart from the others.

Aulea was the only one with silvery-blonde hair, while her eyes were a deep blue that seemed a mix of her parents’ eyes, Regina had dark silvery-blue eyes that she didn’t share with any of her siblings, with her hair being a similar shade of black as Noct’s, Amalia had light corn-blonde hair and greenish-blue eyes, and Maeryn seemed born with Noctis’ solemn frown already on his face, though he had light blonde hair.

Shixona had bright blue eyes like Prompto’s, and dark brown hair that appeared almost black outside the right lighting, Daisuke had dark eyes, almost black in appearance, with just a hint of blue to them, and his hair was as dark as his father’s, Haruto had golden blonde hair and aqua-colored eyes, while Ryou had sky blue eyes and pale blonde hair.

Noctis allowed a smile as the kids all scrambled along each other, before settling together in a mewling heap where they proceeded to nap. “Well… at least we won’t have any troubles telling them apart, hm?”

“Thank god for that. I was a bit worried about any of them being identical, to be honest,” Prompto admitted. “Then again, we would have figured it out.”

“I’m sure we’d have been able to…” Noctis chuckled as he pushed up from the bed. “I’ll be right back; I’m going to ask Ignis to prepare some food for them, alright?”

“Sounds good,” the blonde smiled. “You know where we’ll be.”

Noctis smiled, briefly kissing Prompto, before he headed out of the room.

“…miiiyuuuu…?” Regina called out sleepily, looking out through sleepy eyes.

“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Prompto soothed, stroking her hair a little. “Daddy’s just going to get you all something to eat.”

“…myu…” she mewled, before she settled against Maeryn’s back, the smaller boy mumbling softly but otherwise remaining silent.

Prompto chuckled softly, watching their eight newborns as they slept. He was so happy to be able to be with them, and that he had the opportunity to be with them and Noctis when they hatched. Granted, Daisuke, Shixona, Haruto, Ryou, Maeryn, and Amalia wouldn’t exist if he hadn’t become a Mer in the first place, but he was still incredibly happy to be able to experience this.

The children continued to sleep quietly, even as Noctis returned with what looked like a bag of some sort. “Still sleeping?” he asked cheekily.

“Yup. Seems they like to sleep as much as you do,” Prompto teased.

“Very funny,” Noctis chuckled out as he moved over to sit beside his lover.

The blonde merely laughed softly, before looking at the bag in Noctis’s hand curiously.

Noctis didn’t say anything as he picked up Aulea, who had been laying on the outer edge of the small group, as he set the bag down in between them.

“What are those, Noct?” Prompto finally asked, pointing at the bag.

Noct didn’t reply immediately as he moved to get Aulea comfy along his arm. Once he was sure she was, he finally reached into the bag and pulled out what looked like some sort of cucumber, only the outside was clearly covered in kelp. The blonde, meanwhile, watched his lover curiously, still unsure.

“We call these ‘karago’. These have everything these little ones need to grow,” Noctis explained, as he brought the item to Aulea’s face and gently tapped her nose with it.

The small girl whined curiously, opening her sleepy eyes to see what was going on. As her dad lightly moved the karago in front of her, the little one’s eyes followed it, with her tail flicking slightly at the water. And then she reached out to grab it, which Noctis let her do after two futile tries. Once she finally caught it, she stuck it in her mouth and began to nibble on it with soft crunching.

Prompto watched, a bit surprised, before he sat up properly so he could try with one of the others. Scooping up Regina in his arms, he then looked at Noctis. “How come you kept her from grabbing it at first? Just curious,” he asked as he took a karago from the bag.

“To train her survival instincts,” Noct pointed out. “In case something happens and she has to hunt for food.”

“That makes sense,” the smaller male murmured, before doing the same with Regina as Noctis had done with Aulea. Once the little raven was eating, he smiled down at her.

For a few blissful moments, the only sound that filled the room was the girls’ quiet crunching as they practically devoured the karago. Once they’d finished, the two parents set the girls back down and began to pick out the other kids to repeat the process for each of them.

 

Once they were finished and the newborns were sleeping again, Prompto looked at Noctis with a warm smile. “I’m glad to actually be here for this,” he told the King, voicing his earlier thoughts.

Noctis regarded Prompto curiously, before he smiled and pulled him into a gentle hug. “I’m glad you’re here, too…”

The blonde hugged back, a content sigh escaping him. “…I don’t think I could have handled occasional visits from land…” he mumbled, gazing at their children with a distant look in his eyes.

Noctis frowned, before he sighed and gently kissed his forehead. “Don’t think about that… it’s not necessary.”

“True…” Prompto murmured, smiling softly at the kiss to his forehead.

“Good,” Noctis said before he let go of Prompto momentarily so he could reach into the back again. “Here,” he said as he pulled out a slightly larger karago. “These are ours. Iggy figured we probably wouldn’t be coming down for dinner tonight.”

“Good thinking on his part, then. I don’t wanna leave these little ones for anything,” Prompto chuckled, looking at their children fondly.

That made the King chuckle as he reached into the bag for another one, which he almost immediately bit into.

Prompto took one of the larger ones, and bit into it, finding the taste rather nice. “Reminds me of something called sushi back on land,” he told Noctis once he’d swallowed.

“Sushi??”

“Don’t know who thought of it, but it’s basically like this, just sliced into pieces. It consists of raw fish, rice, and usually seaweed most often,” the blonde explained. “I never introduced you to that one, though.”

The raven hummed curiously, before he went back to his food, even as he moved to lay down around the eight sleeping kids.

Prompto smiled at the sight, before moving so he was lying on the other side, but still facing Noctis. This made the King chuckle, but he said nothing else as he ate and watched the children sleep quietly. And the smaller male did the same, even as that same swell of emotion and now pride washed over him. He was so happy now, and wanted this to last forever.

As the two parents finished their own dinner, Noctis reached up and hit the shell, making it close again. Once it had, he settled back on the bed, quietly watching the kids as they cuddled together while they slept.

And as they slept, Prompto found himself thinking back to when he’d first encountered Noctis on the beach near Cape Caem months ago. If he’d never gone there that day to take photos in the first place, he wouldn’t have met the raven, and Noctis wouldn’t be here today. He shuddered at the thought of this, and was so glad fate had brought them together.

“Hm?” Noticing the shudder, Noct looked up curiously. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, really,” the blonde assured him. “Just…reminiscing, I guess. I was thinking about if I had never found you that day on the beach, and I’m just glad that I did.” He then paused, before adding, “Actually, I’m not glad. I’m incredibly grateful that I did.”

“Prom, seriously…” the King sighed. “Stop thinking so much. It’s not good for you…”

“Sorry, sometimes I can’t help it,” Prompto admitted, lowering his gaze a little.

Which earned him a tap on the nose from the raven-haired King. The blonde blinked in surprise as he looked back up at his lover.

“Just get some rest… Father will probably come by tomorrow to see his grandchildren,” Noct pointed out.

“Kay,” Prompto smiled slightly, reaching over to link Noctis’s fingers with his own.

Noctis smiled in return, lightly squeezing his hand. “Love you, Prompto.”

“Love you, too, Noct,” the smaller male murmured, before closing his eyes, drifting off to sleep with his family.

 

Morning came slowly for once, and the first thing the King was aware of was something being pressed up against him. And when Noctis opened his eyes with a small groan, he was a bit surprised to see Aulea, Regina, Ryou and Maeryn huddled up against his chest. And when he looked over, he smiled when he saw Amalia, Shixona, Daisuke and Haruto cuddling with Prompto, who had instinctively wrapped his arm around the four of them while he slept.

Chuckling, he called out softly: “Prom… wake up.”

“Mmm… huh…?” Prompto mumbled, his bright blue eyes, still murky with sleep, opening slowly. They soon focused on the four little ones in his hold, and he blinked in slight surprise before smiling warmly.

“Guess they went looking for some more warmth,” Noctis chuckled softly, as he gently rubbed the four kids’ heads in turn.

Prompto did the same, laughing lightly. “At least they know where to go,” he chuckled.

The chuckle made Amalia mewl a bit, before she blinked her sleepy eyes open and looked up at Prompto, as if to ask why he woke her.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Prompto soothed, kissing her forehead. “Go back to sleep.”

“…meh,” the little girl said, before she closed her eyes and settled down again, much to the amusement of her parents.

Once she was asleep again, Prompto looked at Noctis, and asked seriously: “Who should be the mom to them? I know I had six of them, but I’m still making sure so there’s no confusion for them.”

Noctis regarded him in question for a moment, before asking: “Should one of us be, then? From what I know, in cases like ours the parents are just called two variants of ‘father’.”

“Makes sense,” Prompto murmured. “I just wasn’t sure.”

The King didn’t say anything in response immediately, though he did smile as he wrapped his arm around the four kids curled up against him. “Kinda funny they actually split up evenly, hm?”

“Yeah, but I won’t complain,” the blonde said softly, holding the four he had against him a bit closer. “Besides, we shouldn’t hear anything about more brothers or more sisters to even things out in the future.” He snickered a bit after he made the comment.

“Very funny… However, that’s likely not going to happen any time soon, anyway…” Noct mumbled.

“What? Why wouldn’t it?” the smaller male frowned. “We could try for more later on, couldn’t we?”

“Mer become infertile for at least ten years after they’ve laid eggs… hence why other Mer haven’t been tried before to grow our numbers before.”

“Oh…” Prompto uttered. “I had no idea…”

Noctis didn’t say anything else to that; he just reached out and took hold of Prompto’s hand, squeezing softly. The blonde squeezed back lightly, before looking at him with a small smile. “It wouldn’t hurt to try again in ten years, though,” he pointed out.

“What? You want your own Blitzball team?” Noctis joked softly.

“Nah, I just like kids. And soon enough, these kiddos are going to grow up,” Prompto replied with a quiet laugh. “I told you before, I’ve always been good with kids.”

Noctis merely snorted, before there was a firm knock on the door. “…Ah, that’s Father,” the King murmured, as he slowly sat up and pushed the shell back up.

Prompto smiled, almost eager to introduce Regis to his grandchildren.

Once Noctis had gotten his “half” of children to let him get up properly to join their siblings with Prompto, he sat up and called out: “Enter.”

Once the okay was given, Regis entered the room, something he hadn’t actually only done once during the time Prompto had been there (which was when he’d laid his eggs). After nodding to his son in greeting (which was solemnly returned), the older Mer turned to Prompto and smiled fondly at the sight of the children. “They all hatched already?”

“Yeah… just minutes after each other.”

Prompto lightly pushed himself up so he was partially sitting up, and said: “Noct thinks our first two waited for the rest of their siblings to catch up before hatching themselves.”

“That so?” Regis asked as Noctis gestured for him to take a seat.

“Yeah… it seemed a little TOO well-timed to be anything else…”

“I think it’s nice, though,” Prompto smiled, his tail curling around the little ones a bit.

The older Mer allowed a smile of his own, as he turned his eyes to the small kids. “Still sleeping, hm?”

“Yeah,” Noctis chuckled.

“They definitely take after Noct in that aspect,” Prompto snickered, casting his lover a teasing look.

“Very funny,” Noctis grumbled.

“You know I only tease, Noct,” Prompto chuckled.

While Noct grumbled in annoyance, Regis merely chuckled. Which was enough for Aulea to whine softly as she slowly blinked her eyes open.

“Hey sweetie, sorry we woke you,” Prompto murmured, reaching over and stroking her hair gently.

The small girl mewled at the touch, but she didn’t go back to sleep as she looked around, possibly to figure out who else she’d heard just then. This made Regis smile as the girl blinked sleepily up at him.

Noctis smiled as well, as he sat down and gently lifted the little girl up. “This little one’s the oldest,” he said as he held her up, while the girl mewled and curled her tail around her father’s arm. Before he finished, though, he gave a fond smile. “Her name is Aulea.”

At that news, Regis’ eyes actually widened in surprise. Prompto watched Regis’s expression, and was glad they’d named their oldest after Noctis’s mother. Rather than say anything else, Noctis held out the small girl to Regis. Aulea blinked curiously at that, before she turned her head sleepily toward Regis, who then gently took her over from the King.

“Miyu…?” the girl mewled softly.

“Hello, Aulea,” Regis murmured softly with a smile as he ran a finger along the girl’s cheek.

“…mew.”

“Still tired, by the sound of it,” Prompto commented, amused.

“Not that surprising…” Regis said, smiling. “Most children spend a good few days sleeping unless they need food.”

“Good point,” the blonde nodded.

“…miru…?” came from by Prompto’s hands, and as he looked down, he realized that Regina had also woken up and was rubbing at her eyes.

“Well good morning, sweetie,” Prompto smiled in a soft greeting.

Regina only mewled, which made Noctis chuckle. He reached over and lifted up Regina. Her tail immediately curled around her father’s arm, making a small curious sound as she was settled against his chest. “This is Regina,” he said as he rubbed her cheek softly.

“She’s the second oldest,” Prompto chimed in.

Regis smiled as he reached over and lightly ran his finger along her chest. “Hello, Regina,” he murmured.

“Myu?”

Prompto laughed softly at the little raven’s response.

Aulea, meanwhile, was watching quietly, her tail lightly swaying lazily. “Miruu…”

“Mikyu,” Regina ‘said’ in response.

Prompto looked back and forth between the girls, blinking in surprise, before he chuckled. “Sounds like they’re talking to each other.”

“Can they do that?” Noctis asked.

“It’s happened before, yes,” Regis murmured, adjusting his hold on Aulea.

“Then they’ll be having their own conversations for a while, huh?” Prompto guessed, laughing a little.

“That’s very likely, yes,” Regis chuckled.

Noctis smiled as he looked to Prompto. “You mind taking Regina while I get them some food?”

“Not at all,” the blonde smiled, taking her from Noctis’s hold and holding her close.

Noctis chuckled as he got up and started out of the room. Once Noctis was gone, Regis turned to Prompto. “While we wait… would you mind introducing the others, Prompto?”

“Of course, Regis,” Prompto nodded, smiling almost proudly as he started. “We’ve got Daisuke, Haruto, Shixona, Ryou, Amalia, and Maeryn.” He gestured to each respective child as he said their names as they slept.

While they were introduced, the other six didn’t seem inclined to wake up just yet, though they did cuddle up closer to each other quietly.

“Interesting… are they names that are native to land?”

“Yeah, they are,” Prompto admitted. “Noct and I agreed on them together, though.”

“I’ve no doubt about that,” Regis chuckled softly, as he gently rubbed Aulea’s cheek, who finally decided to just settle down and sleep with a sleepy sound. “I’m glad you’re here, Prompto,” Regis said suddenly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Noctis this much at ease with anyone else…”

“Really?” the blonde said, blinking in surprise. “Not even with you?”

“Not even with me,” Regis confirmed, though it obviously hurt to say so. “It may have been because he’s not had his own siblings to fill in the gaps… but he’s never been too willing to open up to anyone.”

“…If you don’t mind my asking…what happened to Noct’s siblings, anyway?” Prompto asked softly.

“…I see… He’s never told you?”

“No, he hasn’t. I asked Ignis about it once, but he only told me there was an accident,” the blonde admitted quietly.

Regis didn’t respond for a while, as he lightly caressed Aulea’s cheek, and watched as Regina fell asleep slowly against her dad’s chest. Finally, though, he said: “That’s what people once believed, yes… but with recent events, there are those reconsidering what happened.” He paused then to sigh softly. “When my mate died, it was considered an accident due to tensions between Insomnia and Niflheim. When she died, she was laying… However, when she was found, only one of her eggs was left unharmed. The others…”

Prompto’s eyes widened in horror. “You mean…she never finished, and died before she could?” he asked quietly.

“…no, she laid them… but they were crushed.”

“Oh my god…” the smaller male breathed. “I’m so sorry… I had no idea…”

Regis shook his head quietly, but he said nothing else as he lightly rubbed his thumb over Aulea’s cheek.

“…I’m glad we named our first daughter after her, then,” Prompto murmured, looking at Regis. “It helps to keep her memory alive for you, at least, I’m sure.”

“Yes…” Regis said with a soft smile, as he rubbed Aulea’s head, who mewled happily in her sleep and curled closer.

Just as she did, though, Noctis returned. However, he wasn’t alone when he did.

“Oh, hey Iris,” Prompto greeted in a soft voice so as not to wake the little ones.

“Hi Prompto,” she smiled. “Noctis brought me to meet the new additions.”

“You would’ve tagged along either way even if I didn’t,” Noctis laughed as he moved over to the bed and passed Prompto the bag he’d been carrying.

“True,” Iris giggled as Prompto opened it to reveal more karago.

As Prompto pulled one of them out, Regina’s nose twitched, after which she sleepily blinked her eyes open. “Myu?”

“Hungry, huh?” the blonde chuckled, gaining her attention by waving it a little.

Regina frowned sleepily, as her eyes followed the piece of food slowly. However, even when it came into range, she refused to reach for it. But the moment Prompto stopped moving it to ask Noct if that was normal, Regina suddenly lunged forward and grabbed hold of the karago with both hands and teeth with a loud growling-yowl.

Prompto nearly jolted at the sound, watching their second oldest daughter with wide eyes.

But Noctis laughed as he watched Regina dig into the karago hungrily, nails buried in the food as she bit and chewed and swallowed rapidly.

“Well, she’s caught on quick,” Regis chuckled.

The blonde looked at Noctis, still a bit caught off guard by her reaction.

“That’s her instincts kicking in, Prom,” the King chuckled, even as he pulled out a few more karago and passed them to Regis and Iris.

“Apparently!” Prompto said, even as Iris came over to pick up one of the others to feed. She ended up with Amalia, and began to tempt her with the karago she held.

Amalia seemed a little less tempted by the food (possibly because she was still tired), but in the end she did reach out for the food and nibbled on it sleepily. Regis smiled as he moved his karago in front of Aulea, who was very quick to grab the karago, chewing slower than Regina, but still eating very fast. Prompto watched as Aulea and Regina ate theirs quickly, still a little surprised by how their instincts had kicked in.

“What’s wrong, Prompto?” Noct asked as he looked up from Shixona, who had crawled over at one point and snagged onto the karago to munch on it as well.

The blonde shook his head a bit. “It’s fine. Just caught me off guard earlier,” he admitted.

Noctis merely hummed softly, as the girls munched away at their breakfast. That is, until he caught the sound of munching by his tail. “Hey!” he called out as he reached out and pulled Ryou out from the bag, where said boy had been munching away at a karago that he’d snagged from the bag.

“Little sneak,” Prompto laughed.

“Mrph?”

Noctis sighed as he put the boy along his tail, where he continued to munch on the karago.

“Naughty little man,” the blonde chided with an amused smile.

Ryou seemed unimpressed with the words, though, as he kept on munching quietly.

“I get the feeling this one’s going to be a problem,” Noct mumbled as he lightly tapped the boy’s head.

“Only time will tell for sure,” Prompto shrugged.

Regina, in the meantime, finished her karago, after which she settled back against Prompto, mewling a bit.

“Better?” Prompto asked, smiling at her.

“Myew.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” the blonde chuckled.

Aulea gave a small mewling sound of her own as she finished her own karago, before she wriggled a bit, until she was laying on her stomach on Regis’ arm.

“Hm?” the former King murmured as he watched the small girl get comfy.

“That’s new,” Prompto commented.

“Myuw…” was the only thing Aulea said as she snuggled her face against Regis’ arm.

“Heh…”

As Amalia finished, she gave a tiny mewl, before she moved to snuggle against Iris’ tail.

Iris giggled softly, loving the little girl’s reaction.

“Already loving their family,” Prompto smiled.

“So they do,” Noctis murmured softly, as he reached over and picked up Haruto, who had been beginning to wake up.

Prompto smiled as he set Regina down, before picking up Daisuke to feed him, too.

The boy gave a small mewl as he settled against Prompto, chomping down on the karago.

Iris smiled as she picked up Maeryn, and tempted him with a karago as well. Maeryn, however, merely watched quietly, his eyes half-shut as his tail swayed a bit.

“Hm?” Noctis frowned as Maeryn didn’t seem prepared to eat. “What’s wrong, Maeryn?” he murmured as he moved his finger along the back of his head.

“…mm…”

“Maybe he’s still tired?” Prompto offered, unsure, even as Iris tried to tempt him again.

“I’m not sure…” Noctis murmured, as the small boy actually tried to wriggle away,

“…myur?” Amalia mewled as she looked over.

“Easy, Maeryn,” the blonde murmured soothingly as the little Mer squirmed in Iris’s hold. “You need to eat, sweetie.”

“Mrrrr….!” the boy growled, now squirming almost violently.

“Here, let me have him for a sec, Iris,” Prompto said, setting Daisuke down so he could hold and feed Maeryn if the boy allowed him to. Iris did as she was told, and then the blonde tried tempting him with the karago.

This time, Maeryn grabbed the karago almost immediately.

“Okay… Guess he’s just picky with who feeds him…” Noctis sighed out.

“Sorry, Iris,” Prompto told her with a sheepish look.

“It’s fine, sometimes kids are picky,” she assured him.

“I’m just glad he’s actually eating in the end,” the blonde smiled as he watched Maeryn eat.

“…mrruuu…!” Amalia suddenly mewled as she patted her hands on Iris’ tail.

“You wanna be held, huh?” Iris guessed, picking her up with a laugh.

“Myu!” Amalia chirped, snuggling against Iris.

Regis allowed a chuckle at the sight. “Meanwhile, his sister has no problems with others.”

“Someone’s gonna be social,” Prompto chuckled as Iris held Amalia.

“Very,” Noctis agreed with a small chuckle of his own.

Like that, the group of Mer staid, merely enjoying the peace and quiet as the children continued munching away on their breakfast.

And they all couldn’t help but wish that this would last forever…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go after this, which is a small teaser for later.


	34. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of a chapter, beginning of a new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're a return reader, STOP WHERE YOU ARE!! Before you continue, I urge you to go back to the "Conflict" chapter and reread that. I've added an extra scene there that will have a heavy influence on this universe's continuation.

“…Regina… REGINA!! GET YOUR LAZY BUM OUT OF BED THIS INSTANT!!”

The shout alone would’ve been enough to wake her, but added to that the fact that the blankets were yanked off as they were resulted in both that and Regina hitting her head solidly on the floor. “OW!! DAMMIT, AULEA!!”

Aulea huffed as she dropped the blankets on her sister’s head. “Then you should have woken up on your own. Now go get ready; breakfast is almost ready.”

Regina grumbled in annoyance as she sat up, rubbing the back of her head as the silvery-blonde haired woman left her room. It still took Regina several moments before she was able to get up and do as her sister had said. Sometimes she wondered how the two of them were even related.

For one, they didn’t look anything alike; Aulea had hair that was a silvery blonde in color that she let hang down her back in elaborate braids, while Regina’s was a pitch-black with minor hints of deep blue (or so everyone said) and was cut short to prevent it from getting in the way. Aulea was serious and studious, always giving everything her full attention whenever it was needed of her, but Regina was content to just wing it most of the time, and only give it her all when it actually interested her enough to do so.

Also, if anyone were to ask about it, many would agree that Aulea was the most feminine of the two, whereas Regina could be confused with a boy from afar. And Regina couldn’t care _one bit_.

Once she was ready for the day, she went to join her sister downstairs. She was the only one there, no big surprise there. Still, Regina saw fit to ask anyway. “Where’s Auntie?”

“Off at work. You know that well enough,” was the curt response.

“Would be nice if she could stick around once… or at least Uncle…” Regina grumbled as she took her seat, accepting the plate her sister handed her.

“You know that they’re both busy. Plus, you’re not a _child_ anymore.”

“That don’t mean I don’t wanna see them… esh…”

“‘That _doesn’t_ ’, Regina.”

“Oh for…! I don’t _care!_ ” Regina growled, stuffing her mouth with a forkful of food to keep herself from saying anything nasty to her sister. That was the last thing she needed; getting in an argument with her big sister. She never won those, anyway…

They ate in silence, with the only words being exchanged being requests to pass some items from across the table. By the time they finished, Regina was finally awake enough to work on a plan for the day. So while Aulea took the dishes off to clean them, as she always did, Regina headed off to get just a few more things to get ready. And once she had, she went for the door.

“I’m heading out with the girls to get a hunt in!” she called to Aulea, who looked over curiously, before she snorted.

“Again? You’ve just completed a hunt last night!” the eldest pointed out.

“Hey! It keeps the money flowing, alright?!” Regina argued. “Be happy I’m doing something to help us stay here!”

“We do not even pay rent.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t pitch in! I’m leaving!”

“Regina!!”

The brunette stopped with her hand on the door with a groan before turning around. “What?”

“I just want you to be careful. And stay--”

“Away from great bodies of water. I _know_ alright!? I ain’t about to get myself half-drowned _again!_ ”

“…Alright.” Aulea moved over then and pulled the younger girl into a hug. “Good luck.”

Regina sighed softly, but she smiled as she hugged her sister back. “Yeah, yeah. Luck comes to those who make it.”

Aulea merely snorted when she let her sister go, and then she watched the noiret walk out the door and then run off, using her whistle to call the Black Chocobo she’d raised over the years—whom she’d called ‘Dia’—leaping on its back and then taking off running for Lestallum. She sighed softly at her sister’s obvious excitement to go hunting, but she shook it off to head back inside.

She still had some things to do around the house, after all.

 

Lestallum was blistering hot when Regina hopped off her Chocobo, which was expected, and she groaned as she stretched out her limbs a bit. “Right… now then!” she said, as she pulled out her phone and moved to the group call she’d have set on speed dial, before putting it to her ear.

And one by one, her friends answered.

“ _Good morning._ ”

“ _Heyo!_ ”

“ _Morning, dear~_ ”

“Hey girls! I was thinking of going for a hunt in the Slough. Wanna join me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy... Anyway, that's the end of this chapter of SEP. We'll continue with this story at a later date, so keep an eye on that one.  
> Also, if you want to see more of Regina, she actually has her own series called "Long Live the Queen". Might be an interesting read for you guys.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/series/652859


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